The Los Angeles Police Department's hunt for a new head honcho has intensified, with the candidate pool whittling down to just 10 finalists. Among them, former Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo surfaces as a strong contender, as reported by the Houston Chronicle. Should he clench the role, Acevedo would be making history as the first Latino chief of a department serving a city where more than half of its denizens identify as Latino.
Acevedo's past is tinted with both accomplishments and controversies. During his tenure in Houston, his leadership saw tumult, including the Harding Street drug raid fallout and a strained relationship with the police reform advocates, leading up to a 40% spike in homicides amidst the pandemic onset. His term with the Miami Police Department was even shorter, cut to a mere seven months due to clashes with city council members, some of whom were later indicted on corruption charges.
Acevedo also has roots in California law enforcement, having previously served as the California Highway Patrol chief for the Los Angeles Basin. The former HPD chief's experience spans multiple cities and climates of challenge, which could play a pivotal role in the decision-making for the Los Angeles Police Department's next chief.
Amid speculation and a cloak of confidentiality hanging over the selection process, the Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners expressed, "While we recognize that the selection process for the next Police Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department has garnered much excitement and speculation, at this stage, the process is confidential. The Commission has not released any information about potential candidates. Any purported list of finalists is premature, unofficial, and unconfirmed," in a statement obtained by ABC7.
The chosen candidate will step in after former Chief Michel Moore's retirement in February, and succeed interim chief Dominic Choi. With Mayor Karen Bass at the helm of the selection process, the chosen one could either continue reforms from within the ranks or steer the department in a new direction with an external influence. The LAPD, with more than 10,000 employees, awaits a leader who can chart the course through the tempest of modern law enforcement challenges.
