Houston Chronicle by St. John Barned-Smith 9/28/2021
Ex-Houston police chief Art Acevedo now under investigation amid wild feud with Miami commissioners
For years, Art Acevedo's bravado and big personality endeared him to residents across Houston and to many of its leaders.
In Miami, it's landed him in a heap of trouble. Houston's former top cop appears to be fighting for survival in Miami, where he has clashed repeatedly with city leaders angered by his surprise hiring six months ago and his off-the-cuff, unrestrained style.
Charles McClelland, Acevedo's predecessor in Houston, said police chiefs have internal and external challenges at every department they lead.
"In general, police chiefs across the country fare better in the challenges of their job if they can keep politics out of their job," he said. "In my experience I've found it to be that member of communities don't like their police chiefs to be politicians or media celebrities."
Others weren't surprised that some Miami leaders were souring on Acevedo.
Ashton Woods of Black Lives Matter-Houston remarked, "He talks a lot of good stuff, and then he opens his mouth and shows who he really is."
Asked if he had any comment about the most recent developments in Miami, Houston Police Officers' Union President Douglas Griffith said, "Nope, thats their problem, not mine."
The matter came to a head earlier this week when powerful city commissioners held a special meeting to torch Acevedo's hiring. It has been a sore point with commissioners almost from the moment that Miami Mayor Francis Suarez announced the move, calling Acevedo the "Michael Jordan" of police chiefs.
More:
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/crime/article/Ex-Houston-chief-Acevedo-Miami-investigation-feud-16494002.php
