Art Acevedo

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Art Acevedo
Born
Hubert Arturo Acevedo

(1964-07-31) July 31, 1964 (age 57)
Havana, Cuba
Alma materRio Hondo College (AA), University of La Verne (BS)
Spouse(s)Tanya Born
Police career
DepartmentCalifornia Highway Patrol
Austin Police Department
Houston Police Department
Miami Police Department
Rank4 Gold Stars.svg Chief
WebsiteArt Acevedo on Twitter

Hubert Arturo Acevedo (born July 31, 1964) is an American police officer who has served as the chief of police of the Houston Police Department, Austin Police Department, and Miami Police Department. Before becoming a police chief, he was a member of the California Highway Patrol.

Background and education[]

Acevedo was born in Havana, Cuba, in 1964,[1] immigrating to the United States at age four with his family in 1968. His father was a police officer in Havana.[2] Acevedo grew up in El Monte, California,[1] becoming a naturalized citizen in 1985.[3] He attended Rio Hondo College, graduating in 1986 with an associate degree in communications.[4] In 2005, Acevedo graduated from University of La Verne with a bachelor's degree in public administration.[4]

Career[]

California Highway Patrol[]

Acevedo began his career as a field patrol officer in East Los Angeles with the California Highway Patrol (CHP) in 1986 after graduation from their training academy.[3] He rose to the rank of chief with CHP in 2005.[5]

In 2008, Acevedo received a settlement of almost $1 million from CHP in connection to a harassment lawsuit. The suit alleged that he was retaliated against by CHP commissioner Dwight "Spike" Helmick after applying for the position of CHP chief.[6] According to Acevedo's attorney, Helmick improperly shared information from a confidential investigation into sexual harassment claims against Acevedo. During the 2004 sexual harassment investigation, multiple officers stated that Acevedo, while on duty, showed them nude photographs of a fellow officer with whom he allegedly had an affair. Acevedo denied showing the pictures.[7]

Austin Police Department[]

Acevedo was hired as chief of the Austin Police Department in 2007. Following the February 8, 2016, shooting death of unarmed 17-year-old David Joseph, Acevedo fired officer Geoffrey Freeman, citing failure to stick to policy.[8] Freeman appealed the firing, reaching a settlement in December 2016 that awarded him $35,000 and allowed him to work for other police departments.[9] In April 2016, Acevedo was officially reprimanded and punished by the Austin City Manager for his misconduct following the shooting, with the potential to lose his job. Older "operation and judgment concerns" from August 2011 were mentioned as well.[10]

During his time in Austin, Acevedo appeared on The Alex Jones Show to discuss policing on multiple occasions.[11]

Houston Police Department[]

In November 2016, Acevedo was hired as police chief for the Houston Police Department (HPD), filling a vacancy created by the retirement of Charles McClelland. Acevedo is the first person of Hispanic descent to lead the department.[12]

Shortly after the indictment of Michael Bennett for shoving a security guard at Super Bowl LI, Acevedo gave a press conference where he called Bennett "morally corrupt."[13] Charges against Bennett were dropped in 2019.[14]

In January 2019, HPD officers conducted the Pecan Park raid, a no-knock raid that resulted in the deaths of two homeowners (Regina Nicholas and Dennis Tuttle) and injury of five officers.[15] The basis for the raid, that the couple were heroin dealers, later turned out to be false.[16] Acevedo initially refused to release an audit of the Narcotics Division, which revealed widespread problems in the division.[17] The scandal was described by Houston Chronicle reporters as "one of the worst to hit HPD in years."[18] The veteran HPD officer, Gerald Goines, who led the raid based on false information, was initially praised by Acevedo for his courage despite a decades-long history of allegations of misconduct.[19] In June 2020, Nicholas’ brother, John, penned a Houston Chronicle editorial titled, “What about Harding Street raid? Acevedo, Turner give soundbites on police brutality but stay silent about my sister’s death.”[20]

Acevedo received national attention for his public statements in support of meaningful reform in the wake of the murder of George Floyd, paired with significant criticisms for a lack of action locally to reduce police violence and increase transparency.[21] In the six weeks leading up to George Floyd's murder, HPD officers shot and killed six people. Despite widespread calls from citizens and local politicians to release body-worn camera footage, Acevedo refused, prompting calls for stronger police oversight in Houston.[21]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, murders rose significantly in Houston, as in many other cities. A Houston Chronicle investigation and internal audit found that by 2019, HPD's rate of solving homicides lagged far behind those of many other major cities as well as the department's own clearance rates before Acevedo's tenure.[22]

Acevedo was a vocal critic of local bail reform efforts, claiming that misdemeanor bail reform was a factor in rising violent crime, a claim that was contested by local politicians and criminal justice experts.[23][24][25]

Miami Police Department[]

In March 2021, Acevedo announced that he would leave the HPD to become chief of police of the Miami Police Department.[26] Francis X. Suarez, the mayor of Miami, compared the hiring to "getting the Tom Brady or the Michael Jordan of police chiefs."[27] Acevedo was sworn into the position in Miami on April 5, 2021.[28]

Acevedo said that he went to reform policing in Miami, and referred to a "Cuban mafia" that controlled the city, which ignited a feud with the Miami City Commission.[29] On October 12, 2021, Acevedo was suspended by City Manager Art Noriega. "Relationships between employers and employees come down to fit and leadership style and unfortunately, Chief Acevedo is not the right fit for this organization," Noriega elaborated.[30] He was fired on October 14, 2021.[31]

Political views[]

In January 2020, Acevedo described himself as a registered Republican during his time in California, but a "lifelong RINO," or "Republican In Name Only," usually a pejorative reference to iconoclastic or otherwise non-conservative views.[32] In the same interview, he addressed his outspokenness on gun violence and reiterated his support for the Violence Against Women Act and openness to decriminalization of some drugs.[32]

During the wake of the murder of George Floyd, Acevedo acknowledged that policing in the United States has had a "disparate treatment and impact on disenfranchised communities — especially communities of color and poor communities," but resisted calls to defund the police.[33] During the subsequent protests in Houston, Acevedo was seen in a video telling protesters "pay close attention because these little white guys with their skateboards are the ones who are starting all the shit." He later doubled down on those comments during a news conference, saying, "We’re seeing that there are people, who are not people of color, who are coming into this city and other cities to actually start agitating and actually engaging in violence."[34] The President of the Houston Fraternal Order of Police criticized the remark, and local news outlet KPRC claimed to fail to substantiate Acevedo's claims noting that the group of arrested people was racially diverse and from the Houston area.[34]

Acevedo appeared in a video shown on the opening night of the 2020 Democratic National Convention, which also featured Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, activist Jamira Burley, activist Gwen Carr, NAACP President Derrick Johnson, and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot.[35]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b Chotznioff, Robin (August 31, 2015). "Chief Art Acevedo". Edible Austin.
  2. ^ Bova, Gus (January 16, 2018). "Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo on Sanctuary Cities, Police Unions and Tommy Guns". The Texas Observer.
  3. ^ a b Barned-Smith, St. John (June 4, 2017). "Houston's top cop sets whirlwind pace during first six months". The Houston Chronicle.
  4. ^ a b Eiserer, Tanya (April 1, 2010). "Austin chief Art Acevedo took a force under Justice Department scrutiny and restored trust". The Dallas Morning News.
  5. ^ "Preventing Gun Violence: A Call to Action" (PDF). House Judiciary Committee. February 6, 2019.
  6. ^ McGreevy, Patrick (June 11, 2008). "CHP to settle with former chief". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  7. ^ "Probe Clouds CHP Official". Los Angeles Times. July 9, 2004. Retrieved March 15, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. ^ Dart, Tom (March 21, 2016). "Austin police officer fired for fatally shooting unarmed 17-year-old". The Guardian. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  9. ^ Hoffberger, Chase (December 2, 2016). "Geoffrey Freeman Reaches Settlement With City". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  10. ^ Plohetski, Tony. "Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo punished in David Joseph case". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
  11. ^ Jankowski, Phillip (September 3, 2016). "Chief Acevedo, Alex Jones talk about guns, cop shootings on Infowars". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  12. ^ "Chief Art Acevedo's Page". Houston Police Department.
  13. ^ Shorr-Parks, Eliot (March 23, 2018). "Eagles' Michael Bennet 'morally corrupt,' says Houston police chief after arrest warrant". NJ.com. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  14. ^ "Charges against Michael Bennett dropped because of insufficient evidence". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved May 2, 2019.
  15. ^ Ketterer, Samantha (January 29, 2019). "HPD chief Acevedo IDs suspects, gives update on injured officers". Chron. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  16. ^ Sullum, Jacob (February 11, 2019). "Here Is What Police Found (and Didn't) After Deadly Houston Drug Raid The search warrant inventory does not include any evidence of drug dealing". Reason.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  17. ^ Barned-Smith, St John (July 2, 2020). "'An operation completely out of control': Damning HPD narcotics audit reveals hundreds of errors". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  18. ^ Barned-Smith, St John; Blakinger, Keri (March 4, 2019). "New twist unfolds in investigation of botched HPD drug raid". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  19. ^ Blakinger, Keri; Barned-Smith, St John (February 15, 2019). "Houston police officer in drug raid had previous allegations against him". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  20. ^ Nicholas, John (June 3, 2020). "Opinion: What about Harding Street raid? Acevedo, Turner give soundbites on police brutality but stay silent about my sister's death". Houston Chronicle Op Ed.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  21. ^ a b Barned-Smith, St John; Scherer, Jasper (June 4, 2020). "As police chief urges 'meaningful reform,' critics wonder why it's missing in Houston". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  22. ^ Barned-Smith, St John (November 19, 2020). "HPD to blame for city's soaring rate of unsolved murders, experts say". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  23. ^ Barned-Smith, St John (November 20, 2020). "Acevedo calls Houston's skyrocketing murder rate a 'perfect storm'". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  24. ^ Banks, Gabrielle (September 3, 2020). "Fewer jailed and new arrests remain low, says report on Harris County's bail system". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  25. ^ Martin, Florian (March 16, 2021). "Houston Leaders Grapple With Continued Rise In Violent Crime". Houston Public Media. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
  26. ^ Canizales, Anna (March 15, 2021). "Houston police Chief Art Acevedo to leave Texas for Miami". The Texas Tribune.
  27. ^ "Miami hires Houston chief Art Acevedo to lead police | Miami Herald". Archived from the original on March 15, 2021.
  28. ^ Batchelor, Christina Vazquez, Amanda (April 5, 2021). "Art Acevedo sworn in as City of Miami Police Chief". WPLG.
  29. ^ https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/10/14/miami-police-chief-art-acevedo-fired/
  30. ^ Vera, Amir. "Miami's rock star police chief suspended, likely to be fired after falling out with city leaders, cops". CNN. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
  31. ^ "Miami Police Chief Art Acevedo officially removed | Miami Herald". Archived from the original on October 15, 2021.
  32. ^ a b Blakinger, Keri (January 22, 2020). "Art Acevedo Can't Say That, Can He?". Texas Monthly.
  33. ^ Olivares, Valeria (June 10, 2020). "Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo tells U.S. House committee defunding police is "not the answer"". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
  34. ^ a b Eisenbaum, Joel (June 5, 2020). "HPD Chief Art Acevedo's statement on protest agitators doesn't stand up to the KPRC 2 Trust Index". KPRC. Archived from the original on June 13, 2020. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
  35. ^ "Democrats Announce Highlights from Opening Night of the 2020 Democratic National Convention: Uniting America". 2020 Democratic National Convention. August 17, 2020. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
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