August 1, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES II & IV • Page 11 Daniel Oates, 57, has been chief of police in Aurora, Colorado for seven years. In that capacity the former Midland Park resident is now heading the investigation into the July 20 movie theater shooting that left 12 dead and 58 wounded. According to his parents, John and Louise Oates of Allendale, Oates and his four siblings enjoyed a busy childhood. The family Daniel Oates resided on Park Avenue, and Oates learned to skate and play hockey on the pond near his home. He also liked to swim at nearby Maple Lake. In addition to hockey, Oates played baseball and basketball. Former resident heads investigation into CO shooting He was a Boy Scout and achieved the rank of Eagle in his early teens. After completing the grammar school based at the Church of the Nativity on Prospect Street, Oates earned his diploma from Saint Joseph’s High School. He received a bachelor’s degree in English at Bucknell, and later earned his law degree from New York Law School. After receiving his degree from Bucknell, Oates worked for the Atlantic City Press. “He worked as a reporter in Atlantic City,” John Oates said, “He covered the court sessions and became sensitive to the needs of the ordinary citizen.” Oates later saw a recruitment ad for the New York Police Department, and decided to change his career path. His father indicated that Oates received a scholarship to law school, and earned his law degree while working as a police officer. “He passed the bar exams in New York and New Jersey, and then in Colorado while serving as chief in Aurora,” John Oates added. The police chief also earned a master’s degree from New York University and currently teaches an online constitutional law course for Long Island University. After serving the NYPD, Oates took a post in Ann Arbor, Michigan before moving to Aurora. “He’s competent,” John Oates said of his son. “We’re very proud of him. It’s no surprise to us that he has measured up in this situation.”