AURORA - Nick Metz, Assistant Chief of the Seattle Police Department, has been selected as the Aurora Police Department Chief, filling the position left open by former Chief Dan Oates.
Metz was selected from a pool of four candidates including Jose Banales, assistant chief with the San Antonio Police Department in Texas; Fran Gomez, deputy chief in Commerce City; and Roy Minter Jr., current police chief in Peoria, Ariz.
"The City of Aurora is fortunate to have an outstanding police department which is recognized across the region, state and nation for providing outstanding service and innovative programs that are consistent with the care and compassion we all have for the diverse communities we serve," Aurora City Manager Skip Noe said.
Metz has been with the Seattle Police Department for 31 years and has served in a command position for 13 years.
"To say this opportunity is a dream come true would be an understatement," Metz said. "I am excited to work alongside the women and men of this nationally recognized agency as we work together to enhance public safety and continue to build upon the already strong partnerships with Aurora diverse communities."
Metz comes from a department with a troubled history. In 2011, the Department of Justice launched an investigation and eventually determined Seattle police demonstrated a pattern of excessive force.
In 2013, during a shake-up of SPD's top brass, Metz was demoted by one of several interim police chiefs. He was reinstated by yet another interim chief, and kept on by current chief Kathy O'Toole.
Aurora City Manager Skip Noe said he was aware of SPD's problems.
"We discussed that incident and [chief O'Toole's] word to be was that was all politics. It had nothing to do with Nick's abilities or skills as a chief. She highly recommended him as someone we ought to consider for this job," Noe said.
"I don't think you can paint one person based on the issues in an entire institution over a period of time."
"The support I got from inside the department and from the community was incredible," Metz said of the demotion. "So for me at that time, whether or not I got reappointed to assistant chief really didn't matter because I think people knew what I've contributed to this department."
Metz is set to be confirmed by the Aurora City Council Feb. 2. His annual compensation will be $163,500 plus benefits.
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