Art Acevedo, former Austin Police Chief, is making a comeback to the city in a newly minted role tasked with overseeing the Police Department. The city memo detailing Acevedo's return and $271,000 salary was confirmed to KUT, as detailed in the Austin Monitor news. Acevedo, who led the APD from 2007 to 2016 before taking up chief positions in Houston and Miami, has expressed optimism about this new beginning "There is a brand-new slate of players that we can start fresh, and I think there is a collective desire to get everything on track, and so I’m hoping that I can help with that," he stated.
Yet, Acevedo's appointment has sparked concerns amongst city council members and the public alike, especially among the community of sexual assault survivors. In a recent event to honor these survivors, who were part of a 2018 lawsuit against Austin and Travis County for mishandling sexual assault cases, their concerns were highlighted. "His return is a step backwards for survivors of sexual assault," said Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza, according to CBS Austin.
Challenges within APD are cited as the rationale behind Acevedo's role, with interim City Manager Jesús Garza noting the need for "additional resources are needed to better support the department, our interim police chief and her management team to ensure success." Controversially, some council members were taken aback by the seemingly unilateral nature of the decision. Vanessa Fuentes posted on social media, "I was surprised to learn, just a few hours ago, about Art Acevedo’s appointment as Interim Assistant City Manager."
The announcement has raised an uproar, particularly given Acevedo's past tenure, where oversights such as untested rape kits stirred dissatisfaction. Council Member Paige Ellis voiced her unease saying, "There are just other things that we’ve had to clean up as a city council." Julie Ann Nitsch from the Survivor Justice Project brought forth her consternation saying, "Unfortunately when you re-appoint someone that oversaw the failed years of the crime lab, oversaw the way women were treated... I'm looking to the lawsuit [and] there are a lot of allegations against Art Acevedo, and the city re-appointing him to oversee the police is a betrayal of trust, honestly."
Despite the backlash, Acevedo remains poised to address the present issues and mold a positive outcome. "My job is to not to be liked or loved, but to actually be a resource," Acevedo said in a phone interview with CBS Austin. Initiatives he's expected to shepherd include crafting new recruiting strategies and improving policing tactics and training as outlined in the city's memo. Whether his efforts will win over his critics and honor the hopes of a city striving for trust and reform remains to be seen.
