HOUSTON – Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said he will announce the future of leadership at the city’s Police Department later this week.
Turner spoke at City Hall on Monday morning after news broke Sunday night that Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo is leaving to take the same job in Miami.
“I hate to see him leave the city of Houston,” Turner said as he congratulated Acevedo on his next chapter.
The mayor said Sunday was the first he had heard about Acevedo’s departure.
Turner said Acevedo, who took the job as chief of the Houston Police Department in 2016, is leaving the department in better shape than he found it.
Acevedo led HPD through some of the city’s most difficult times, such as Hurricane Harvey, the deadly Harding Street police raid, the George Floyd protests and the recent winter storm.
“Art was the right person at the right time,” Turner said.
In Acevedo’s replacement, Turner said he is looking for someone who is focused on managing the department and its 5,300 officers with the resources that the city has available. He said he also wants someone who has similar community-relations skills as Acevedo.
Turner said that while Acevedo’s last day has not been set, he believes Acevedo will stay on a few more weeks to help with the transition.
Watch a replay of Turner’s news conference below.