Gerald Hanks
Growing up during his childhood as an immigrant from Cuba, Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said he understands the conflicts happening nationwide between immigrants and police with a unique perspective:
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As a young man in Los Angeles, Acevedo said he saw many of these conflicts first-hand.
He also attested to learning about the power of the media – one of the reasons, perhaps, he is among the most visible police chiefs in Houston’s history.
In an interview with the Texas Observer, Acevedo discussed how he handled the transition from heading up the Austin Police Department to leading Houston’s department.
He described how, when he first arrived, the jurisdiction’s reputation preceded itself, reportedly among the most troubled and controversial law enforcement agencies in the country when he took over in November 2016.
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Since joining the force, Acevedo led efforts in both Austin and Houston to reform the respective departments in their successes of reducing police violence, including creating a special internal affairs department reportedly dedicated to investigating officer-related shootings.
“We’ve been trending significantly downward; the department has worked diligently to train folks on de-escalation and on tactics,” Acevedo said during the Observer interview. “But, it’s not a matter of numbers. It’s a matter of when you do have a use of force, having a robust process of reviewing it and ensuring it was objectively reasonable based on all the facts known to the police department.”
He also commented on how a few bad apples are affecting the reputations of police officers in Houston and beyond:
“I feel so badly for this generation of police officers because sometimes they’re being painted unfairly as out of control, when, if you pay attention, this generation of police officers is in fact the best trained, best equipped, best educated and most professional of any generation of police officers, yet they’re maligned all the time as if they’re a bunch of Neanderthals.”
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Despite these setbacks, Acevedo said he is hopeful for the future, explaining how working with local media is improving officer-civilian relationships:
“I want the community I serve to be familiar with their police chief, to have a relationship that’s one of trust with the police chief, because you know what that means? My cops are gonna be better supported by the taxpayers when they go to the polls, or when they’re being judged by a grand jury for their actions.”
Houston thanks you for your service, Chief.
Houston chief Art Acevedo and Mayor Sylvester Turner congratulating HPOU president Joseph Gamaldi. pic.twitter.com/qOASmeLoOr
— Ron (@RonDeLord) January 4, 2018
