Aurora police chief hanging up his badge in November
Aurora Police Chief Greg Thomas - known for his practical, yet laid-back demeanor, the pride he takes in always answering his own phone calls and email - is calling it a career.
A 37-year veteran of the Aurora department, who spent the last seven and a half years as chief, will retire on Nov. 13.
"I'm a practical guy so I decided to make it easy on staff and do it at the end of a pay period," Thomas said Monday. "But it's also Friday the 13th and I think that's kind of cool."
A lifelong Aurora resident, Thomas, who will turn 55 on Saturday, joined the department in December 1978 as a cadet and became an officer in 1982. He was promoted to sergeant in 1993, to lieutenant in 2003, to commander in 2005 and to deputy chief in 2007. Mayor Tom Weisner appointed him chief in April 2008.
"Serving as the chief of police has been an honor," Thomas said. "Working alongside leaders, and both sworn and non-sworn members of the police department who continually dedicate themselves to public service has been my privilege. Crime has been significantly reduced - a truly huge accomplishment for which all members of our city are very thankful."
Under his leadership, the city continued unprecedented decreases in crime, greatly reduced the number of traffic crashes, and focused on intelligence-led and community oriented policing. He also oversaw the 2010 move into the state-of-the art police headquarters that included a new digital radio system and 911 telephone system.
"I'm obviously really proud about the significant reduction of crime that we've seen but I'm also very proud of the organization as a whole," Thomas said. "I see what's going on in the world around us with different police relationships and their communities and we have none of that in Aurora. This is an organization that is professional from top to bottom and I'm really proud to say I had a hand in that."
Along those same lines, Thomas said he also relishes implementing a continuing education program for officers that covered basic police training but also included lessons in ethics, unconditional respect and other training.
He has received numerous awards, including honors as Aurora Police Department Officer of the Year and Exchange Club of Aurora Police Officer of the Year.
Thomas has also become known as a strong advocate for Aurora through his work with several faith-based groups, business agencies and community organizations. He recently resurrected "Aurora Cares," a collaborative group of various agencies working together to reduce violence and he also sits on the board of the Aurora Human Relations Commission.
"Chief Thomas has been a dynamic leader of the Aurora Police Department. From cadet to chief, he's had a noble career in law enforcement right here in his hometown" Weisner said in a written statement. "Under his leadership, the Aurora Police Department was guided through turbulent times into the national spotlight for its success and its use of best practices. I consider Greg and his wife Julie to be two of the finest human beings that I know. While he will certainly be missed, Greg has left an indelible mark in the Aurora Police Department and on the entire city."
For now, Thomas's post-retirement plans consist of finally getting around to some home improvement projects he's been putting off, spending time with his family and getting reinvolved in taekwondo.
"Life is really good right now so I'm going to take advantage of it while I still can," he said. "The department is in a good place and It's a good time to be finishing up so I'm going to enjoy it."