Aurora dispatch records: Three-hour police wait during garden destruction

Newly released 911 recordings show Aurora residents waited more than three hours for police to arrive at a community garden where a man was actively destroying property.

The incident occurred on Aug. 8 near East 16th Avenue and Yosemite Street. Mathew King, who called the station, described a man throwing rocks and breaking cinder blocks. Dispatchers told him officers were not yet available.

King asked, “Where are your police officers?” The dispatcher replied, “We don’t have an officer to send. As soon as we do, we’ll get them headed that way.” The initial call came in shortly before 1 p.m. Police were dispatched at approximately 3:48 p.m., and the first unit arrived around 4 p.m.

The city classified the call as Priority 3, which covers low-threat property crimes and disturbances. Aurora Police stated that 11 Priority 1 calls and 15 Priority 2 calls were active between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. that day. The department noted that officers spent an average of 87 minutes and 44 seconds on scene, creating a triage situation where urgent threats took precedence.

Aurora Police does not track response times for Priority 3 calls. A city spokesperson said these calls often involve non-urgent issues where the timeline for closure can span days. The department argued that tracking these calls like higher-priority incidents would not provide meaningful data on service quality.

Mayor Pro Tem Alison Coombs questioned whether crimes in progress should be classified as Priority 3. She said the incident revealed a policy gap regarding how the city categorizes active criminal activity. Coombs asked the city manager about the cost of adding mobile response teams, which pair mental health professionals with EMTs.

The city Council gave preliminary approval to a fourth Aurora Mobile Response Team in the proposed 2027 budget. Coombs estimated the additional team would cost approximately $243,000. The city currently provides this service seven days a week but not around the clock. Coombs believes an additional team could have assessed the garden situation, though Aurora Police said it would not have changed the outcome in this specific case.

The man arrested for the garden damage and other crimes in the area remains in Adams County Jail. He is scheduled for a review hearing on Thursday. City Council votes on the final budget adoption on Nov. 9 and Nov. 23.