Former Aurora Police Chief Art Acevedo now won't take job in Austin citing "politics and power struggles"
Art Acevedo, the former chief of the Aurora Police Department, is still leaving Colorado and returning to his family in Texas, but now says he won't take a job he originally said he lined up with the city of Austin.
Acevedo's last official day as the chief of Aurora police was Monday when his successor, Heather Morris, was sworn in. Acevedo said he would take a position in Austin as a liaison between the city manager's office and the Austin Police Department but Tuesday posted a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, saying that was no longer the case.
He'd still return to Austin but said, in part, "unfortunately, politics and power struggles have hindered our efforts to create real positive improvements for the people of this city."
I have and will always place the best interest of the men and women of the @Austin_Police and the people they serve first, which is why I have made the decision below. See you later this week Austin! #RelationalPolicing pic.twitter.com/gNF4fqLVDU
— Chief Art Acevedo (@ArtAcevedo) January 23, 2024
Acevedo served as chief of the Austin Police Department from 2007 to 2016, chief of the Houston Police Department from 2016 to 2021 and chief of the Miami Police Department for about 6 months in 2021 before being fired -- a decision he's suing the city over.
"I firmly believe that if we are to build a future together, we cannot afford to blame others and point fingers," Acevedo's statement on X continued. "This mentality has caused us to take a step back instead of building a better path forward together. That is why I have informed (Austin) Interim City Manager (Jesús) Garza that I cannot accept this position and will pursue other opportunities."