On November 28, 2005, Chief Oates was appointed as the tenth Chief of Police for the city of Aurora, Colorado.

Chief Oates also serves on the Criminal Intelligence Coordinating Council, the national advisory council of police chiefs, created in May, 2004 to advise the U.S. Attorney General and Secretary of Homeland Security on intelligence and security strategies in a post-9/11 world. As of 2005, he is the First Vice President of the Colorado Association of Chiefs of Police and Chair of the CACP’s Legislative Committee. He is also a member of numerous other professional associations, including the Police Executive Research Forum and the International Association of Chiefs of Police.