HOUSTON — Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo held a press conference Tuesday after announcing he's headed to Miami.
Acevedo reflected on his time in Houston, saying if anything it can happen, it happens in the city of Houston from the Super Bowl and the World Series to Hurricane Harvey and the deadly winter storm.
Acevedo said he contemplated a position at the federal level, as well as going back to Los Angeles to run for sheriff or even going into the private sector. In the end, he chose to be in Miami, saying it wasn't a job he was looking for, but it was a great fit.
Though he hasn't had a chance to work with the officers there, Acevedo said there is no better of group of people he's worked with than those at HPD. He said he hopes one of the executive assistant chiefs will be next HPD chief.
Acevedo touted the work HPD officers do but also mentioned some of the missteps and tragedies the department has gone through, including the botched Harding Street raid.
Adam Bennett's full exclusive interview with Acevedo after he landed back in Houston Tuesday
He also mentioned the number of officers who have died since he's led HPD.
"We’ve buried 6 officers since I’ve been here," he said. "We’ve buried children shot since I’ve been here."
His salary, according to our CBS station in Miami is $315,000 a year. That’s up from $295,000 in Houston.
“My time was coming up. I had opportunities with the federal, with the Biden administration. I had opportunities in Los Angeles, but my heart was here," Acevedo said while speaking at a press conference in Miami. "Ultimately the department, it’s a great department.”
Art Acevedo in his own words
His time in Houston was marked by highlights like the Super Bowl and Hurricane Harvey, but there was also the Harding Street raid and a rise in violent crime.
Murders are up from 303 in 2015 to 404 in 2020. As for his replacements, the two names already mentioned Executive Assistant Chiefs Troy Finner and Matt Slinkard, two men who have been at the Chief’s side since his arrival in 2016.
“Troy Finner is a class act, Matt Slinkard can’t say enough good things about either one of them. They are really good, their hearts are in the right place," Griffith said.
As for the timing of his replacement, Mayor Sylvester Turner said he will have an announcement on HPD leadership by the end of the week.