MIAMI (WSVN) - The Miami Police Department’s next top cop will be sworn in this week.
Incoming City of Miami Police Chief Art Acevedo comes to the Magic City from Houston, where he led the nation’s fourth largest police department for five years.
“What I loved about Texas for 14 years is they appreciate straight talk, and what I love about this community is we’re the same,” he said during a speech he delivered on March 15.
He will be sworn in at a ceremony on Monday morning.
The incoming chief attended a roll call for the department’s central division C-shift, Thursday night.
Acevedo shared several pictures on Twitter. He wrote, “These are the great group of women and men who work all night to keep the people of Miami safe.”
While serving as chief of police in Houston, Acevedo protected the community during Hurricane Harvey, marched with protesters after the death of George Floyd and worked around the clock during the recent Texas winter storm.
Acevedo was born in Cuba and came to the U.S. as a refugee in 1968 when he was 4 years old.
The incoming chief said he had opportunities to join the Biden administration or move to California, but his decision to come to Miami was made with his heart.
“Miami is a city on the move. I mean, look around you,” he said.
Acevedo gained nationwide attention when he knelt with protesters during a George Floyd protest in Houston over the summer. He believes officers should be held accountable.
“What people need to understand is that our communities are watching us as leaders, not just for what we say and do, but what we fail to say and do,” he said.
U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., has been critical of the Miami Police Department.
“We just have to give [Acevedo] a chance,” she said.
Wilson said she is hopeful he’s the right person for the job.
“Sometimes it’s good to get rid of the old baggage and bring in someone fresh, with a new perspective,” she said.
Because of COVID-19 restrictions, Acevedo’s swearing-in ceremony won’t be open to the public, but it will be streamed.
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