What happened
Acevedo's hiring to a newly-created interim assistant city manager position over the Austin Police Department was announced Jan. 19 by interim City Manager Jesús Garza. Garza cited the APD's need for additional resources and support as a reason to bring Acevedo back to Austin.
While the move garnered some support, a majority of City Council members expressed displeasure or opposition to Acevedo's proposed return. On Jan. 22, five officials met with Garza to lay out their "serious concerns" about the hiring.
The following day, Acevedo—who was serving as police chief in Aurora, Colorado until Jan. 22—said he still plans on moving back to Austin this month but wouldn't be taking the city management position. While he had looked forward to helping the APD and working with city officials, he said the new role had become a "distraction" for the police department and Austin Police Association.
"Unfortunately, politics and power struggles have hindered our efforts to create real positive improvements for the people of this city," Acevedo said in a statement. "I firmly believe that if we are to build a future together, we cannot afford to blame others and point fingers. This mentality has caused us to take a step back instead of building a better path forward together. That is why I have informed Interim City Manager Garza that I cannot accept this position and will pursue other opportunities."
What's next
Garza said he will continue to evaluate further support for the APD following Acevedo's withdrawal.
"He told me that he sincerely appreciates being considered for this important role and looks forward to returning to Austin to serve the community in some other capacity in the near future," Garza wrote in a Jan. 23 memo to council. "The need for additional resources for APD remains and I will be assessing over the next few days what options are available to us."
Acevedo was set to begin serving in the city management role by the end of January on a $271,000 salary.
Interim Assistant City Manager Bruce Mills said it was unfortunate that Acevedo decided to withdraw from the leadership position and said he may still consult him going forward.
"He is a highly capable executive. He’s been gone from this city for seven or eight years. He has worked in Houston ... he’s worked out of state, he’s been part of the national organizations on policing," Mills said. "He’d bring a lot of knowledge. Doesn’t mean I still can’t call him to offer that knowledge. So I’m disappointed that we’re not moving forward in that, but I understand his pulling out.”
The context
Much of the pushback against the appointment was tied to the APD's longtime mishandling of sex crimes cases, including during Acevedo's tenure as chief. Those systemic failures eventually led sexual assault survivors to sue Austin and reach a settlement agreement in early 2022.
That settlement included a requirement that city officials publicly apologize to victims for the city's shortcomings. The public apology was scheduled and took place Jan. 23.
Concerns about the APD's handling of sex crimes cases in the 2000s and 2010s was a factor in several council members' opposition to Acevedo's hiring. Council Member Alison Alter said she thought the move had the potential to retraumatize victims.
Mills called timing of the city's offer to Acevedo "unfortunate," but also said he believes it was unfair and inappropriate to place blame on Acevedo for all of the police department's previous mistakes.
