Aurora Police Lt. blames retirement on city council in a letter
A retiring police lieutenant of the Aurora Police Department laid his retirement solely at the feet of the city council in a letter addressed to the 10 person council.
“It is with great sadness that I inform you of my retirement after 25 years in law enforcement,” retired Lt.. Dave Cerinich said, “I spent the past 20 years in Aurora and it was a pleasure to do so, until this year. I can honestly say that my retirement is a result of you. I am disheartened by your lack of respect for the occupation that I’ve revered for so long.”
In 1999 Cenrich was shot in the line of duty only weeks after he became a police officer and did not think twice about continuing his career in law enforcement. Cenrich stated that he always wanted to be a cop and that taking a bullet never even made him think twice about doing the job, but that in the last 6 months his mindset has changed.
“I’m leaving premature as a result of what’s going on in the community,” he said. “What’s going on in the community is fostered by city council and the city manager.”
Cenrich also stated that the city council’s oath is the same as the police officers oath in that they are to, “defend the constitution, not your agenda.”
Cerinich said he decided to retire even though he was not ready to do so after protesters took over District 1 in July.
“I’m leaving premature as a result of what’s going on in the community. What’s going on in the community is fostered by city council and the city manager. They don’t feel appreciated by the community anymore. They don’t feel appreciated by the city council anymore, there’s protests every single weekend, there’s people spitting on us, calling us all kinds of bad names. The city thinks their First Amendment right is more important than my life,” he said. “I can’t protect my cops anymore. City council is dictating what the cops do. I can’t protect my troops anymore; as a lieutenant, if I can’t protect my troops, I don’t need to be here.”
Cerinich foreshadowed, “going to lose a lot of good people who aren’t going to be there when you need help.”
Aurora Police Department has been inundated with controversies as of late with the death of Elijah McClain. Then on July 3, interim Aurora Police Chief Vanessa Wilson announced that three of her officers were fired and one resigned in the wake of uncovered photos showing three of them imitating the carotid hold that was used on Elijah McClain. Also, recent body camera footage of fired officer Levi Huffine, “punishing” a female prisoner who was handcuffed, hobbled and rode upside down in the back of a patrol car for more than 20 minutes following her arrest in August 2019.
