How Jesús Garza’s mysterious appointment of Art Acevedo backfired: Acevedo publicly declined the job, but sources say he had little choice – News

Art Acevedo – the polarizing police chief who fled the Austin Police Department in disgrace eight years ago for turning a series of issues into a national scandal – has been tapped for a top job at City Hall, all within a week. was stripped of his job.

It all started on Friday, January 19th. politician Acevedo announced the news that he has accepted a $271,000-a-year position as interim assistant city manager overseeing APD. This is a new position created for him by the Interim City Manager. Jesus Garza. By Tuesday, Jan. 23, following an intensifying pressure campaign by community advocates that had spurred City Council members into action, Garza had been able to do what he had resisted since being appointed interim manager a year ago: the City Council. was forced to succumb to

On January 23, just 15 minutes before city officials were to issue a legally mandated apology to survivors of sexual assault at the event, an apology that stemmed from a decade of mismanagement at APD. issued primarily as a result of settlements of lawsuits that occurred under the Acevedo administration), former Secretary of State Posted He posted on social media that he was stepping away from work.

“Unfortunately, politics and power struggles are hindering our efforts to bring real positive improvements to the people of this city,” Acevedo said in a statement. “That’s why I reported it. [Garza] I cannot accept this position and intend to pursue other opportunities. ”

What City Hall officials will likely say comes after the meeting between Allison Alter, Ryan Alter, Paige Ellis, Natasha Harper-Madison and CM Zo Kadri on Monday, Jan. 22, and the apology on Tuesday. At some point, Garza called Acevedo. and asked him to leave the job.

In his interim role, Mr. Garza has made several management decisions that have frustrated the Board of Trustees, but this decision removes the very limitations the Board had previously given him regarding other management decisions. I have finally surpassed the wide limits. Under immense pressure to reverse that, Garza did just that.

During Mr. Acevedo’s tenure as APD chief, and since then, there have been a number of crises and scandals that lawmakers and supporters point to in order to convince Mr. Garza to change course. Just as he did in 2014, he defended an Austin police officer who violently arrested a woman while crossing an overpass, implying that it could have been much worse, and that at least the police did not give her any warning. He said he did not sexually assault her. More broadly, Acevedo was criticized for refusing to meaningfully address the department’s response to victims of sexual assault, an issue that became public two years before he left APD. The scale of the problem was so staggering and its effects so damaging that survivors filed a class action lawsuit against the city, with Acevedo as the defendant. (The city settled the lawsuit in 2022. One of the conditions of the settlement was a public apology made on January 23.)

Under Acevedo’s leadership, APD detectives in the sex crimes unit “cracked” rape cases with surprising speed, even though they were rarely investigated. They later authorized the reassignment of an SCU sergeant who had internally raised concerns about this practice. Management of the department’s DNA lab under Mr. Acevedo, dating back to 2010, was so flawed that the city closed it in 2016 and ordered the Texas Department of Public Safety to take over its operations. requested. Years of mismanagement have resulted in a backlog of approximately 3,000 rape kits. Each kit represented a survivor whose case had been delayed or denied trial due to institutional deficiencies at the Institute or his APD.

The list of concerns the council and community members have regarding Acevedo’s appointment is long and legitimate. In a statement to chronicle, Garza acknowledged Acevedo’s history of failure in Austin and defended the former chief’s response to it. “As Secretary, Mr. Acevedo was adamant that these mistakes be corrected as soon as they were brought to our attention,” Garza said. “Many of these came to light when he left APD or after he left APD.”

But more than anything, Acevedo’s hiring was about timing. Garza made the decision without even consulting Mayor Kirk Watson, sources said. Garza issued a memo to the mayor and City Council announcing Acevedo’s return to City Hall hours before the news became public and four days before his public apology to survivors. The consequences of its timing were psychologically traumatic for the survivors and politically disastrous for Garza. The council plans to discuss the employment decision and other issues related to Mr. Garza’s performance of his duties at next week’s regular council meeting on February 1st. The public will have an opportunity to share their concerns regarding Mr. Garza’s performance with the council during the session. Public comment period for the meeting.

“As Chief, Mr. Acevedo insisted on correcting these mistakes as soon as they were brought to his attention. Many of these came to light when he left APD or after he left APD. .”– Interim City Manager Jesus Garza

But was it just incompetence? Or was it his cruelty towards the survivors? Survivors and advocates who were plaintiffs in this high-profile case told us that this announcement (which came very close to a public apology) was itself re-traumatizing. Garza declined to answer our questions about the timing of the announcement, but we do know that Garza offered him the job “earlier this month,” according to Acevedo’s statement. announced his resignation as interim police chief in Aurora, Colorado).16).

Advocates and CMs also worried that Acevedo’s hiring, intentionally or not, would undermine the authority of APD’s current interim chief. Robin Henderson, a black woman. Acevedo’s APD leadership’s problems were ultimately rooted in sexism and racism, including gender-based assumptions that influence sexual assault cases and police violence against black and brown people. If Acevedo’s hiring signals a lack of confidence in Henderson’s independent leadership, those who work with Henderson and her staff don’t see why. Her advocates and her colleagues agree that she has made far more progress than her predecessors in improving the department’s response to sexual assault. Advocates told us that her commitment to reform appeared sincere and durable, and that former Chief Brian Brian, who they said worked on reform but failed to demonstrate that commitment in action. He is different from Mr. Manley and Mr. Joseph Chacon.

Advocates worried that adding someone like Acevedo to the membership could jeopardize that progress. “Under Secretary Henderson’s leadership, Sexual Assault Response and Resource Team “We have made more progress in improving APD’s response to sexual assault than the last three administrations combined,” SARRT co-chairs Shelley Egger and Emily LeBlanc said in a statement following Acevedo’s resignation. said in a statement before.

“Mr. Henderson is and will continue to be the leader of the Austin Police Department,” Garza said in a statement. The creation of this Interim Assistant City Manager role is intended to strengthen the resources of the Chief and APD. ” Mr Henderson welcomed his support in his own statement. Prior to Acevedo’s resignation, Henderson said through a spokesperson, “As we all work to accomplish key priorities within APD, I would like to extend my support and support in the role of interim assistant city manager created by city leadership. I’m grateful for the focus.”

As city manager, Garza is not required to consult or seek approval from the City Council on personnel decisions. And in most cases, CMs don’t expect administrators to do so.But the whole episode shows the value of city management working and Picking representatives on high-profile decisions has not been a hallmark of the Garza administration. CM Alison Alter, a longtime City Council member and advocate for survivors’ causes, said one of the most important lessons to be learned from last week is that “due diligence is important” when providing leadership. He emphasized that this is the case. It changes.

“It’s not perfunctory,” Alter said. “Especially when we’re trying to make changes to a police department. We need to make sure the process we follow reflects the importance of what we’re trying to accomplish.”

for julie ann nitschThe story, which is among the plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit brought by survivors, has sparked cautious optimism. “I am optimistic because the outpouring of support from survivors and elected leaders in our community shows that real change is possible,” Nitsch said. said. “Garza is either too incompetent or has the audacity to appoint this man to this job right before the city apologizes to survivors.”