Coatney next Aurora Police Chief

The City of Aurora has announced that Wesley Coatney has been selected to serve the Aurora community as the next chief of police for the city of Aurora. Coatney was selected from a group of five well-qualified candidates and brings 20 years of law enforcement and criminal investigations experience to the position.
Originally from Aurora (AHS class of 1999), Coatney began his law enforcement career in 2001 as a police officer with the cities of Aurora and Webb City, and in 2010 moved over to work as a criminal investigator with the State of Missouri. During that time, Coatney worked for the State of Missouri Inspector General’s Office/Office of Professional Standards as a criminal investigator, specifically for the Missouri Department of Corrections. In this capacity, he was tasked with the investigation of criminal and administrative allegations/crimes that occurred within the Missouri Department of Corrections. These investigations included crimes such as murder, rape, assault, staff misconduct, use-of-force, and other miscellaneous allegations and crimes.
“The Aurora community is fully supportive of our police staff, which is greatly appreciated, but there is always opportunity to improve, and I am confident that Mr. Coatney will be a great addition to the amazing people that we have working for the city of Aurora and the police department,” said Aurora City Manager Jon Holmes.
Mayor Jason Lewis stated that he is “confident that Chief Coatney is a wonderful match for the city of Aurora. His background rooted in law enforcement, coupled with his experience at the state level will be an important asset for our city for years to come.”
Coatney begins his duties with the Aurora Police Department on Aug. 23, 2021.