Aurora City Councilman Rob Andrews was right when he posted to social media, “accountability has to be more than words” in the wake of his January arrest for drunken driving.

That’s why Andrews should resign his position on the council.

Put aside how Andrews was new to the position; if in a private job, he’d likely have been terminated amid the opening weeks of a probationary period. And never mind how Andrews didn’t just fail a sobriety test with a blood alcohol content above the legal limit of 0.08; he pleaded guilty last week to a charge of driving under the influence 0.20+ BAC, approaching three times the legal limit. It’s a frightening — and dangerous — level of inebriation behind the wheel.

The biggest reason Andrews proved he’s unfit to represent Aurorans was how he handled the predicament he put himself and others in. The proof is in the video footage of Andrews’ arrest, where the councilman says, “I am most concerned about the public not knowing about it.”

Andrews presented his City Council ID to law enforcement before providing his license. As Denver Gazette columnist Jimmy Sengenberger noted last week, the councilman’s actions are the definition of an abuse of power, sending a message, “Go easy on me, I’m basically your boss.” 

And to think this is the behavior of the council’s chair of its Public Safety, Courts and Civil Service policy committee. How’s that for irony? It makes a mockery of public safety.

Andrews left himself in a pickle over how he dealt with the four charges originally filed against him: DUI, driving with excessive alcohol content, changing lanes when unsafe (weaving) and making a left turn from the wrong lane. As with any defendant, it was well within his legal rights to have his counsel build a winning case. But his lawyers’ strategy was to go after the arresting officer, challenging the cop’s credentials to administer a breathalyzer. Maybe it was the most effective legal strategy — even if it didn’t ultimately work, as the officer had the requisite credentials — but the point it conveyed is the councilman doesn’t trust the very law enforcers under him.

Andrews’ case comes on the heels of state Sen. Faith Winter’s death last November in a motor-vehicle crash. An autopsy later found Winter was driving with twice the legal blood-alcohol limit. The Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office found her at fault, including for the other person injured. It followed a history of public alcohol abuse by Winter that previously had resulted in a reprimand by legislative leadership.

Far from giving public officials leeway over drinking and driving — as Andrews seemed to seek — we should hold public officials to the very strictest standard in living by the laws they write. 

Meanwhile, Andrews is very lucky he didn’t cause bodily harm or death to himself or others. 

Aurorans are owed actions that back up words. Andrews’ apologies come across as empty. This is all the more the case when you consider he voted with the council’s progressive majority to prevent Aurora police staff from posting booking photos or naming suspects, among other restrictions, to social media without the city manager’s approval. 

Andrews essentially restricted the flow of public safety information after his own DUI arrest became public. 

To Sengenberger’s point, Andrews has no business overseeing public safety. And the rookie’s entitled attitude and cavalier approach after he got caught makes clear a replacement on the council would represent Aurora much better.