HOUSTON – Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo may not have officially applied to become Houston’s next top cop, but tonight Channel 2 has learned Acevedo, Austin’s high-profile police chief, may be on that short list.
Ray Hunt, president of the Houston Police Officers' Union, recently asked Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner if he was close to naming a chief.
The mayor told Hunt he was confident he’d have a decision by Dec. 1.
Hunt knows Acevedo personally. He said Acevedo told him two months ago he hadn’t applied for the chief’s job and that he was under contract.
Police sources in the know told KPRC 2 as the search for Chief McClelland’s replacement continues, Acevedo’s name is one they keep hearing.
Acevedo is popular with the public, but the outspoken police chief has faced recent internal battles with senior command staff over how he dealt with officer use-of-force incidents.
“He’s a very high-profile person, he's been in a major city for 10 years. It would surprise me if he's not being looked at by major cities, including Houston,” Hunt said.
An Austin police spokesperson released a statement to KPRC 2 that reads, “Currently several major cities have potential openings for Chief of Police. Questions have been raised as to whether chief Art Acevedo is being considered a top contender for one of more of these positions. The department does not have any information regarding these recruitment processes. At least four internal candidates have applied for the police chief’s job, including acting chief Martha Montalvo, Executive Asst. Chief George Buenik, Executive Asst. Chief Michael Dirden and Asst. Chief Troy Finner. Mayor Turner is out of the country."
Janice Evans with the mayor's office said if Acevedo is being considered, she's not aware of it. She said the mayor has no deadline for choosing a new chief. He is not talking about who the candidates may be.