Aurora Police Chief Keith Cross is set to retire after more than 30 years at the city’s police department. Outgoing Mayor Richard Irvin is proposing that the position go to current Deputy Chief Matt Thomas, according to a recently posted agenda of the Aurora City Council’s Committee of the Whole meeting on Tuesday. Irvin’s appointment of Thomas, if it passes the Committee of the Whole on Tuesday, must still go before the City Council for final approval. When asked about the Committee of the Whole agenda item, an Aurora Police Department spokesperson told The Beacon-News in an emailed statement that Cross has informed the city of his intention to retire. “It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve the community I’ve called home for more than three decades,” Cross said in the statement. “I’ve spent the recent months working closely with city leadership to ensure this transition is smooth, intentional and positions the department for continued success.” Consistent with “previously planned succession efforts,” a presentation is set to be given to the Committee of the Whole at its meeting Tuesday to discuss the appointment of a new police chief and related changes to the police department’s command structure, according to the statement. “This discussion reflects the city’s continued commitment to a thoughtful and seamless transition of leadership within the Aurora Police Department,” the Aurora Police Department statement said. “No additional announcements are being made at this time.” Cross was appointed as Aurora’s police chief in July 2021 after former Police Chief Kristen Ziman announced her retirement. Cross was Ziman’s deputy chief. At the same time, Thomas was promoted from commander to deputy chief of the Aurora Police Department through an appointment by the Aurora City Council. According to his resume, Thomas has over 27 years of policing experience. He has held various jobs in his career, including patrol officer and investigator, Investigative sergeant, Patrol Services lieutenant and Administrative Services commander, among many others. The Committee of the Whole is also set to consider Irvin’s appointment of Aurora Police Cmdr. Steven Stemmet as deputy chief at its meeting Tuesday. Stemmet’s resume shows that he previously served in the U.S. Army from 1990–1997 and in the Montgomery Police Department from 1996–1999 before joining the Aurora Police Department in 1999. If Irvin’s appointments are approved by the Aurora City Council, both Thomas and Stemmet would start in their new roles on or around May 30. Former Aurora Mayor David Pierce said in an email to The Beacon-News that Irvin is seemingly breaking, with these appointments and others, a “long-standing practice” in Aurora government that outgoing mayors refrain from making appointments between an election and the next mayor’s inauguration. Incoming mayor and current Ald. John Laesch, at large, is expected to be sworn in on May 13 alongside at least two new Aurora City Council aldermen and the incumbents who were re-elected. rsmith@chicagotribune.com ...read more read less