MIAMI (WSVN) - Miami Police Chief Art Acevedo turned in an action plan laying out steps to improve the department, although it arrived past Monday’s deadline.
Last week, Miami City Manager Arthur Noriega had sent a letter to Acevedo asking for a drafted plan of action covering several topics, including a policing and management plan, an officer morale plan as well as how he plans to repair his relationship with the city’s elected officials.
“What I am hearing and seeing from this police chief is scary,” said Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo.
The chief wrote, “While there have been bumps in the road, I have hit the reset button and look forward to working diligently to accomplish my given mission of building the successes of my predecessors.”
The plan is 24 pages long and in it Acevedo evaluates his first six months on the job.
“I believe the first six months of my administration on balance has been successful,” the chief writes. “As with was the case with Chief Timoney … there will always be be a certain level of friction and some missteps.”
Some of Acevedo’s plans include a strong focus on lowering gun violence in five specific neighborhoods, which is something he said is already being worked on and garnering positive results.
The goal is to reduce gun violence by 2% in 30 days, 5% in 60 days and 7% in 90 days.
The mudslinging between some Miami commissioners and Acevedo has been unfolding for about a week.
Carollo had a message for Acevedo: to arrest him if it’s true he has probable cause that Carollo and two other commissioners have committed crimes.
“Stop threatening me, come right down and do it himself,” he said. “He himself could come down and have the guts to do it in a public meeting. If not, to shut his big mouth and to please quit threatening us.”
“I want to make it clear that this is not just a defense of elected [officials] up here, and we’re defending ourselves. This is also a defense of all the good men and women that risk their lives every day for us,” said Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla.
According to city officials, Acevedo turned in the plan shortly after 5 p.m.
“I probably engaged too quickly to affect change and engage publicly,” wrote Acevedo. “I have since adjusted my approach and will continue to do so.”
With that he said he plans to meet with each member of the commission to find common ground and identify areas for which there is room for improvement.
“While I, the chief of police, may not always agree with the mayor and individual members of the commission, my respect for them as an elected body and for the people they represent must be unwavering, and my disagreements should be expressed in the context of issues, not personalities.”
Commissioners voted to form an investigative panel to look into Acevedo’s hiring process, what they have called his “checkered past” and accusations the chief made that some commissioners are interfering with the police department’s internal affairs investigations.
To read the chief’s action plan, click here.
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