AURORA, Colo. (KDVR) — The Aurora Police Department has chosen Art Acevedo as its new interim chief while the city council continues looking for a permanent replacement.
“I cannot wait to strap on that gun belt, put on that badge, because, believe it or not, the best days of American policing are today,” Acevedo said at a news conference on Tuesday,
The former chief, Vanessa, was fired in April and the city has so far been unable to replace her in the permanent role, despite having two finalists named in October. One removed himself from consideration after visiting the city while the other was said not to have the support of the city council.
“Where other cities are de-funding the police, I am really excited about coming to a city where they understand good policing, requiring an investment. It requires the funding for proper training, equipment,” Acevedo said.
Dan Oates has been serving as the interim chief since Wilson’s removal, a role he previously held from 2005 to 2014 before leaving the department to serve as police chief in Miami Beach until his retirement in 2019.
“It has been an honor and privilege to serve Aurora again,” Oates said in a press release.
Acevedo has previously served as police chief in Austin and Houston in Texas, as well as in Miami.
“Chief Acevedo has been a fixture in the national law enforcement community for years and has been vocal about needed and measured improvements in policing and public safety across the country. We are honored that he reached out to us, eager to assist us with the ongoing public safety changes we have been implementing,” Aurora City Manager Jim Twombly said in a release.
He is expected to transition into the interim role in early December.
What community thinks of the new interim chief
FOX31 spoke with members of the Aurora community about Acevedo’s selection as interim police chief. Accountability and transparency are some of the community’s concerns.
“What I can say is I believe it will take a high level of experience to navigate the issues and rebuild trust within our community,” former Aurora police oversight committee member Candice Bailey said.
“We need some stability. On one end, I’m disheartened that the city didn’t in my opinion reach out to the community on their selection process. I don’t feel it was transparent. We need someone that understands our diversity,” NAACP Aurora Branch President Omar Montgomery said.
A news conference introducing Acevedo was held at 5:30 p.m. Watch the full event on FOX31 NOW.
FOX31’s Greg Nieto contributed to this report.