Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman responds to alleged gang violence in city

HITTING 85. WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT A WEEKEND WARM-UP IN JUST A FEW. I WANT TO GET TO OUR TOP STORY OF THE MORNING. SO THIS IS BRAND-NEW OBTAINED HERE AT FOX. 31, THIS IS AT AN APARTMENT COMPLEX IN AURORA SHOWING MEN WITH LONG GUNS AND PISTOLS IN THEIR HANDS. THIS IS AT AN APARTMENT BUILDING AND A PRETTY CONCERNING VIDEO THAT IS NOW GOING VIRAL ON SOCIAL MEDIA. NATIONAL NEWS IS PICKING THIS UP. BUT WE'VE BEEN FOLLOWING THIS LOCALLY FOR WEEKS AND WE HAVE QUESTIONS, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND PEOPLE LIVING IN THE AREA CLAIM. THIS IS PART OF A GANG TAKE OVER IN SEVERAL PARTS OF THE CITY OF THOSE CLAIMS. >> NOW GETTING NATIONAL ATTENTION. SO WE WANT TO GO RIGHT TO THE MAYOR. MAYOR MIKE COFFMAN JOINS US LIVE VIA ZOOM THIS MORNING TO TALK MORE ABOUT THE SITUATION. FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR TAKING SOME TIME OUT. I KNOW YOU'RE DEALING WITH A LOT WHEN YOU SEE THIS VIDEO, YOU WHAT DO YOU THING? BECAUSE I DON'T LIVE IN AURORA, BUT I THINK TO MYSELF, HOLY COUGH, I LIVED THERE OR I'D BE FREAKING OUT RIGHT NOW. >> WELL, I HAD TO YOU WHAT, PUT IT IN CONTEXT OR SO. THIS CONCERN THAT IT'S 3 APARTMENT COMPLEXES, BUT THAT'S THAT'S NOT TO MINIMIZE THE ROLE THAT WE ARE. LARGEST CITY IN AMERICA 40,000 POPULATION, BUT THERE ARE 3 IN CONGRESS IS THAT WE BELIEVE IN THEY WHERE THERE'S A CONCENTRATION VENEZUELAN MIGRANTS AND THE CRIMINALITY IS UNFORTUNATELY AND NOT. SO WE HAVE THE TASK LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL, OUR FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT PARTNERS WORKING ROAD, APPROVALS THAT ARE OUT GET THEM OFF GOOD MARK THE STREETS, BUT IT. BUT IT CERTAINLY CONCERNS BUT BUT WITH IT 3, BOARD GOVERNORS. >> KNOW YOU AND I TALKED ABOUT THIS ISSUE OF APARTMENT COMPLEX IS MIGRANT GANGS. WE TALKED ABOUT THIS AT LENGTH LAST WEEK. AND I DID ASK YOU IF YOU KNEW ABOUT. ARMED PEOPLE GOING AROUND AND INTIMIDATING PEOPLE, THESE COMPLEXES. AND YOU SAID YOU DID KNOW THAT THIS WAS HAPPENING TO THE APARTMENT BUILDING, BUILDING OWNERS AND TO AN EXTENT THAT WE KNEW IT WAS HAPPENING TO PEOPLE WHO LIVE THERE. BUT MY QUESTION IS, WHEN DID YOU FIRST SEE THIS VIDEO? AND WHEN DID YOU KNOW IT WAS TO THE EXTENT THAT WE'RE SEEING IN THIS VIDEO? >> WELL, I WE'VE YOU I THINK I PUT COUPLE WEEKS AGO THAT WE HAD FORMED THE TASK FORCE. WE WOULD COUNT ON. WE INFORMED ENFORCEMENT TASK FORCE COME OUT THAT THERE INTIMIDATION GOING ON PART OF THAT INTIMIDATION CERTAINLY INVOLVES INDIVIDUALS. >> MR. MAYOR, WHY AURORA, YOU KNOW, GOT PEOPLE FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY SENT ME MESSAGES. WHAT'S GOING ON WHY ARE THESE GANGS IN AURORA? DO WE KNOW HOW THEY WHY THEY CAME HERE? WHY THEY'RE THEY SEEM TO BE TAKING OVER SOME SPOTS IN IN IN OUR CITY. >> SO I'M TRYING TO TRACE IT BACK RIGHT NOW. I CAN TELL YOU WHAT, YOU KNOW, SOME THINGS THAT ARE A VETERAN CONFIRM THAT THAT I BELIEVE ARE TRUE. I THINK WE KNOW THAT THESE GALA MUNTZER ARE ATTRACTED TO CONCENTRATIONS OF VENEZUELAN MIGRANTS. THAT'S UNFORTUNATELY THERE'S A LOT OF CRIMINALITY IN VENEZUELA. IT'S BASICALLY A FAILED STATE. THE ROLE OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT THERE IS IS TO PROTECT THE GOVERNMENT SAYS NOT TO PROTECT PEOPLE. AND SO UNFORTUNATELY, SOME OF THESE CRIMINAL ELEMENTS HAVE COME UP WITH THEM WITH MIGRANTS. MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THAT IS WHERE DOES NOT SHARE CRIMINAL HISTORIES WITH UNITED STATES. AND SO IT'S VERY DIFFERENT VEHICLE TO VET THEM AND THE BORIA THEY'VE BEEN ALLOWED TO COME IN ANYWAY. PEOPLE CAN CROSS THE BORDER LEGALLY BE ARRESTED AND THEY RECEIVE HUMANITARIAN PAROLE. WE HAVE TO APPLY THEY'VE APPLIED POLITICAL ASYLUM UNTIL THEIR CASES CAN BE ADJUDICATED. IT'S A IT'S A TERRIBLE COMBINATION WHERE THE THEY COME INTO THE COUNTRY, THEY DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO A WORK PERMIT 6 MONTHS. THEY DON'T HAVE RESOURCES. I THINK WHAT HAPPENED AND GET I'M TRYING TO TRACE THIS BACK IS THAT WHAT HAPPENED IS WE HAD SEVERAL. WE HAVE SOME BUILDINGS THAT UNFORTUNATELY PRETTY RUN DOWN. I WANT VACANCY. RATES ARE RELATIVELY LOW RENT. AND I THINK WHAT I THINK SOMEBODY PLACED THEM IS SUE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, PERHAPS USING SOME OF OUR LOCAL NONPROFIT PARTNERS HERE TO AS A CONDUIT BECAUSE THE CITY OF AURORA, IT TOOK A POSITION EARLY ON THAT WE WERE NOT GOING TO PARTICIPATE IN THE MY RECORD PRICES. WE WERE NOT GOING PROVIDE TAXPAYER SUPPORT AND WE WERE NOT EVEN GOING TO BE A CONDUIT FOR FEDERAL DOLLARS TO COME IN PROVIDE ASSISTANCE. THIS IS NOT OUR PROBLEM. THIS IS A PROBLEM CREATED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THE BORDER WITH BAD POLICY. AND SO IT'S A FEDERAL GOVERNMENT NEEDS SOLVE THAT PROBLEM THAT THE CITY OF AURORA. NOW WE THIS PROBLEM. WE ADHERE TO THAT PROBLEM IN VOLUNTARILY. AND SO I'M TRYING TO WALK BACK AS I BELIEVE THAT THESE PEOPLE JUST IN GO THERE ON THE ROOM. I THINK SOMEBODY PUT THEM THERE AND I'M TRYING TO FIND OUT RIGHT NOW AND I HAVE A MEETING LEADER UNDERSTANDABLY ORGANIZATIONS THAT PROVIDE ASSISTANCE WHO PROVIDED THIS ASSISTANT WHO MADE THIS DECISION TO PUT BUTTER. >> THE NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT RIGHT NOW IS ON THE CITY OF AURORA. I ASK YOU THE SAME QUESTION LAST WEEK AS A YES OR NO ANSWER. I'D LIKE YOU TO ELABORATE TODAY. IS AURORA A SAFE PLACE? >> ABSOLUTELY. I THINK, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A CITY WELL OVER 4,000 BOULDER FOR ABOUT THE PEOPLE PUT CITY IN AMERICA. AND THIS IS A VERY ISOLATED PROBLEM. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE OTHER ISOLATED PROBLEMS OR TRY TO DEAL WITH RIGHT? YOU KNOW, IS CERTAINLY THE I DON'T BELIEVE SURRENDER ANY PART OF THE CITY TO A CRIMINAL ELEMENT, WHETHER IT'S SECTIONS OF AURORA, YOU KNOW PROSTITUTION DRUG DEALING OR WORDS? THESE CRIMINAL ELEMENTS FROM IS WHERE WE'RE GOING A SORT A GROWING PART OF OWN PEOPLE. BUT BUT IN DOING TAKEN OVER SEVERAL APARTMENT COMPLEXES. SO HAVE TO AND HOPE WE DON'T KNOW. WE CAN MOVE THESE PEOPLE OUT. >> WITHOUT PUSHING EVERYBODY OUT THE ENTIRE APARTMENT BUILDING. >> BUT I'LL TELL YOU, AS SOMEBODY WHO WAS IN COUNTERINSURGENCY WARFARE AROUND. >> WITH RAY BORG, THIS IS YOU HAVE AN ENEMY POPULATION. THAT IS THE. >> YOU HAVE AN ENEMY THAT IT'S INSIDE A POPULATION THAT IS INTIMIDATED BY THE. SO CHALLENGE IS GETTING PEOPLE TO COOPERATE TO IDENTIFY USING FOR YEARS TO IDENTIFY THEM, GET THEM OUT. SO WHAT I LOOK FORWARD TO HIS UPDATES FROM POLICE DEPARTMENT FROM OUR ENFORCEMENT PARTNERS ARE WORKING ON THIS 2, TO SAY WHAT PROGRESS THAT WE'RE MAKING INTER IN THESE ISOLATED AREAS IN TERMS OF PARK. IT IN TERMS DOING WITH WHAT I CONSIDER IS ENEMY FORCE. >> IF IF IF ED POLICIES, AS YOU SAY, TO BLAME FOR A LOT OF THIS, DO YOU TRY TO MAKE THE WHITE HOUSE PAY FOR WHAT YOU GUYS ARE TRYING TO DO RIGHT NOW TO DEAL WITH US. >> WELL, I THINK I WANT GOOD MORNING. HAS A FIRST I BELIEVE WELL, FIRST OF ALL, THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE BOARD, THE FRONT I MEAN, IF YOU COULD WALK A GREAT PEOPLE CAN WATER. WE HAVE YOU KNOW THAT AS WELL, UNFORTUNATELY IS YOU KNOW, A FAILED STATE AND A SOCIALIST DICTATOR AND PEOPLE ARE LEAVING. I THINK ABOUT A 3RD OF THE POPULATION AS WELL. AND SO I THINK A LOT OF THEM ARE GREAT PEOPLE. BUT IMMIGRATION WE'VE HAD IN THE PAST IN OUR VENEZUELAN COMMUNITY THAT HAS BEEN HERE WHERE THEY HAD SPONSORS WHERE THEY HAD FAMILY MEMBERS, WHERE THEY CHANGED THAT RESOURCES ARE EDUCATED. >> I MEAN, HERE WE'RE GETTING PEOPLE THAT JUST POURED OVER THE BORDER WHERE WHERE, YOU KNOW THEY WERE THEY CAME TYPICALLY WATER CROSS ILLEGALLY. YOU GET ARRESTED BUT A GHOST TOWN. YOU'RE GIVEN HUMANITARIAN PAROLE BECAUSE YOUR CASE CAN BE ADJUDICATED, WHICH COULD TAKE MONTHS OR YEARS BEFORE THOSE CASES ARE ADJUDICATED IN THE. IN THE MEANTIME, AGAIN, YOU HAVE A SITUATION AND THIS IS SEPARATE FROM THE CRIMINALITY. BUT I WANT TO SAY THAT IT CREATES IT'S A BROADER PROBLEM DAYS. >> THAT YOU HAVE PEOPLE THAT. THERE ARE HERE WITH OUR RESOURCES CAN APPLIED FOR WORK PERMIT, GO THERE FOR 6 MONTHS. I MEAN, THAT'S PEOPLE DO. DESPERATE THINGS. SO MY CONCERN IS CERTAINLY BE ON THIS COMMUNITY, THEIR NEW ISSUE. BUT THAT IS THE MOST SERIOUS ISSUE BEFORE RIGHT NOW. AND WE ARE CONFRONTING IT HEAD-ON. >> WE WILL YOU KNOW WHAT, WE'RE GOING TO >> I KNOW THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT'S COMING TO A HEAD RIGHT NOW. AND YOU SAY THAT THERE ARE STEPS TO MAKE IT BETTER. IS IT GOING TO GET WORSE BEFORE IT GETS BETTER? >> NO, IS GOING WORK BEFORE YOU THE FACT IS WE YOU KNOW, WE HAVE WE HAVE GOT OKAY, TOO. >> LOT OF RESOURCES TOWARDS THIS IS AS HAS YOU KNOW, WE ARE WORKING WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AS WELL LAW ENFORCEMENT STANDPOINT, AS WELL WITH SOME OF OUR STATE PARTNERS. YOU KNOW, FOCUS ON ON THESE ISOLATED AREAS, YOU KNOW, TO TO, YOU KNOW, IDENTIFY THE CREW WILL MAKE IT A MONTH. THE STREET. AND SO, YOU KNOW, DIRECTOR RIGHT NOW. WE'RE GOING TO ACCOMPLISH THAT. >> MAYOR MIKE COFFMAN, MAYOR OF AURORA, THANK YOU FOR TAKING TIME. I MEAN, THE WORST THING WE CAN DO IS NOT TALK ABOUT THIS. WE APPRECIATE YOU JOINING US HERE ON THE SHOW. HAS A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT THIS VIDEO. A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THESE COMPLEXES ARE NOT HAPPY. THEY DON'T FEEL SAFE AND THEY WANT ANSWERS. AND SO WE APPRECIATE YOU ANSWERING THOSE QUESTIONS AND PROVIDING AT LEAST SOME OF THOSE ANSWERS THAT YOU CAN RIGHT NOW. NEW POLICE CHIEF IN AURORA IS GOING TO HAVE THEIR HANDS FULL, OF COURSE, DEALING WITH THIS AS WELL. AND SO HOPEFULLY WILL KEEP IN TO