Stop spinning and politicizing criminal gang activity in Aurora and just deal with it

Colorado politicians and some in the media are so afraid that reports involving suspected Tren de Aragua gang members will fuel irrational fears of all migrants that they’re trying to spin and obfuscate criminal activity.

And now the equivocating and mockery of complaints that gang members are causing serious problems at three apartment complexes in Aurora has caused the situation to backfire spectacularly into a social media feeding frenzy.

It spiraled after the governor’s office brushed off reports by an Aurora council member as figments of her imagination. Others quibbled what it means to suggest gangs had “taken over.”

The Aurora, Colorado councilwoman who leaked video of heavily armed Venezuelan gang members storming an apartment, says several apartment buildings in the Denver area have been completely taken over.

How is this America in 2024? pic.twitter.com/P5rUYOFEgC

— Kevin Dalton (@TheKevinDalton) August 30, 2024

The flipping and flopping among leading officials and some media reports has been so dizzying, it’s no wonder folks are confused and believing the worst they’re reading on social media.

Now old video has resurfaced of bikers at Sturgis in South Dakota claiming it’s actually Hell Angels come to Colorado to save the day! Also, there’s was a weekend bike rally in Durango, six hours away from Aurora.

Much of the blame for it spinning out of control certainly lies with Dems and their media friends who chose to politicize the issue and make it about immigration rather than admit and deal with migrant crimes as it happens,

Police on Saturday finally confirmed that a man arrested for a July 28 shooting at one of the apartment buildings on Nome Street is Jhonardy Jose Pacheco-Chirino, also known as “Cookie,”  and is a documented member of the dangerous Venezuelan gang.

PERRY: Aurora officials must counter Venezuelan gang hysteria perpetrated by dodgy politicians and media propagandists

‘grisly attempt at terrorizing Aurora residents, in hopes of swaying voters to back anti-immigrant candidates’https://t.co/nxoTPx0MvA#copolitics #TdA pic.twitter.com/uv0OXonOtG

— Sentinel Colorado (@SentinelColo) September 1, 2024

Buried in the extended play version on YouTube of a Kyle Clark 9News interview with Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman on Thursday was some key information for residents:

At the Dallas Street apartment complex, “criminal elements have pushed out the property manager and (are) extorting the tenants in the building,” Coffman said. “There are two to three buildings where that is occurring, that we have ongoing operations on in those buildings.”

Asked if a gang is functionally in control of those spaces, Coffman responded:

“There’s a criminal element in control. And it’s difficult because they’ve intimidated the residents of the building. But we are still able to make arrests.”

“Whether it’s Tren de Aragua or whether it’s other criminal elements that are doing this is irrelevant,” Coffman said. “The fact is that we are working to get this under control.”

Has the entire city been taken over by gangs? Of course not. Don’t believe every video you see on X. Colorado has not been invaded by a Venezuelan gang or Hell’s Angels.

“I’m not minimizing this incident. It’s a serious incident, but it’s not the entire city,” said Coffman.

But Clark insisted on quibbling:

“When you hear, you know, gang has taken over an apartment complex that can mean different things to different people, right? There’s taken over in terms of, Aurora, police can’t go there. And then there’s taken over in terms of, they’re shaking residents down for money and scaring people and that kind of thing. If I hear you correctly, please correct me. If I’m wrong, you’re saying it’s not a takeover in the sense that it’s a no-go zone for APD, but that they are exerting control over the residents in a way that is unacceptable?”

It’s clear to everyone except Clark that a gang taking over the apartment complexes meant residents were being shaken down for money, harassed and even assaulted as in the July shooting.

I wonder if the residents can tell the difference between their apartment building being taken over by a Venezuelan gang and the residents of the building just being subjected to extortion and harassment by a Venezuelan gang?

Maybe @KyleClark can explain the difference to them.

— Karl Dierenbach (@Dierenbach) August 31, 2024

And yet just two days later, the interim Aurora Police Chief stood in front of a camera at that same apartment building on Dallas Street and said residents had been thoroughly questioned by police and residents denied being harassed by gang members who just happen to live there.

APD officers have been proactively patrolling areas where there is suspected TdA activity.

Today, Interim Chief Heather Morris and several officers connected with residents at The Edge at Lowry apartments at Dallas Street and 12th Avenue to offer reassurances, provide updates… pic.twitter.com/sOYSWW8aHk

— Aurora Police Dept (@AuroraPD) August 31, 2024

Meanwhile, Polis appeared to backtrack on his snarky remarks and released this statement Friday night:

When Gov. Jared Polis needs 3 DAYS to find out that there are real Venezuelan gangs taking over Aurora#copolitics pic.twitter.com/zfbSIDuMbY

— Spicy memes (@uncommonspice) September 2, 2024

All politicians would do well to put public safety issues ahead of partisan politics while some media outlets would be better served with real journalists rather than immigration advocates posing as such.