Art Acevedo's fiery exit from atop the Miami Police Department did nothing to shake the confidence of Aurora, Co., in picking him as interim chief while the Colorado city struggles to fill the job permanently, the Denver Post reports. Acevedo, who has also previously headed police departments in Austin and Houston, took the interim police chief job while discussing a contract to help the Aurora Police Department carry out its consent decree from the Colorado Attorney General’s Office. Despite the complaints underlying that decree, based on the AG's finding of a pattern of racially biased policing, Acevedo said Aurora's leaders seem united in giving the department the resources it needs to make the city safer. “This is not a broken department,” Acevedo said. “This is like every other department — a work in progress.”
Aurora reopened its search last month after two of three finalists withdrew and the third applicant failed to get the necessary City Council support. Since then, the city has received no new applications, city spokesman Ryan Luby said. Miami officials fired Acevedo in October 2021, six months into his tenure. The city manager said in a letter that Acevedo lost the trust of the department’s officers, didn’t record vacation time, failed to promptly report damage to his vehicle, and used foul language while arguing with a demonstrator, among other issues, according to the Washington Post. In January, Acevedo sued the city in federal court alleging he was fired for speaking out about corruption.