Ex-Austin police chief Art Acevedo will not be taking a job as the city’s assistant manager.
Acevedo was fired from the Austin Police Department in 2016 after revelations that his department took as much as a year to test rape kits and, in some cases, did not test them at all. During his time in Austin, he also made comments that were criticized as being offensive.
Earlier reporting indicated that Acevedo would be accepting the job offered by Interim Austin City Manager Jesus Garza. However, vocal backlash from the city council and members of the public led to Acevedo announcing on Tuesday that he would not take the position.
“Unfortunately, politics and power struggles have hindered our efforts to create real positive improvements for the people of this city. I firmly believe that if we are to build a future together, we cannot afford to blame others and point fingers,” Acevedo said in a statement to CBS Austin.
After decrying the decision to hire Acevedo, some city council members expressed concerns about hiring a person to fill the specially created assistant city manager role intended to assist Austin’s police department.
“The public safety portfolio for an assistant city manager is huge. It’s a huge portion of the budget, it’s a huge number, probably a majority, of employees of the city,” Council Member Jose Vela said, per CBS Austin. “It is one of the most difficult and controversial positions that we have. It may be too much work for any one individual.”
Vela added that he would like to see any hiring decision be made by the council rather than through the administrative offices.
“Ultimately, the city council is a democratically elected body, and the power should be concentrated in the council and not so much in the administration,” added Vela.
After he was fired from the Austin Police Department, Acevedo served as the chief of the Houston Police Department from 2016 to 2021. From there, he joined the Miami Police Department as its chief, a position he held for six months before being fired, reported The Associated Press.
Acevedo referred to Miami city leaders as “the Cuban Mafia,” a derogatory term often used by Fidel Castro to describe Cuban-Americans. Acevedo was let go from the Miami Police Department for terminations and demotions that incensed others at the department and for threatening to involve the FBI and Department of Justice in investigations into police and city leaders.
Acevedo most recently served the police department as the chief in Aurora, Colorado, for a little over a year, leaving the job voluntarily on January 22.
His fleeting hiring as assistant city manager in Austin was celebrated by just one council member, Mackenzie Kelly. Kelly said she was disappointed that Acevedo would not be taking the job.
“His heart is definitely here in the city of Austin, and he does care deeply about the community. I don’t doubt that one bit, I’ve known him for over a decade professionally, and I know he wants what’s best for the city. It’s just not the right time,” she said.