Parents: Mixed Reviews From Meeting About DARE Officer
AURORA, Colo. (CBS4)- Parents in Aurora sounded off at a meeting about the arrest of a police officer who worked in the DARE program with students. DARE stands for Drug Awareness Resistance Education program.
Michael Mangino is accused of having sexually explicit pictures of a 15-year-old girl on his phone. Police said he convinced the girl to take the pictures after he arrested her.
Mangino is a veteran police officer who spent years working in schools through the DARE program.
A few dozen parents attended a meeting with Aurora school officials Tuesday night at the Aurora Public Schools Professional Learning and Conference Center. Reporters were not allowed in the meeting.
Parents who talked to CBS4 gave the meeting mixed reviews. One man said he walked out after hearing from Aurora Police Chief Dan Oates.
"I walked out because he was arrogant. He had complete trust and faith in his officers and wasn't about to change any procedures," said parent Rev. Ronnie Russell.
"They were just basically wondering how they were going to reassure the community that the police department had taken care of it and that the police department was still an honorable area. That this was just something that was just a fluke of nature, basically," said parent Brannon Osborne.
The superintendent of Aurora Public Schools said the meeting was closed to ensure anyone with information about Officer Mangino would feel safe enough to share it.
Officers believe there may be more victims. Anyone with information is urged to call Aurora police.
Mangino is also being investigated in two other cases of possible misconduct.
In a news conference Monday, Chief Oates revealed the officer's cell phone also had video of Mangino in uniform having sex with adult women.
