Miami Police Union Holding Vote on Chief Acevedo

The Miami Fraternal Order of Police is conducting a member poll on recently appointed Chief Art Acevedo. The union is asking its members to say they have no confidence in the chief.

Acevedo, former chief of the Houston Police Department, is under fire with both the union and the city commission . The commission has called a special meeting next week to talk about the chief, CBS Miami reports.

“We will move people forward and select people from the division. Based on merits,” Acevedo said at the time of his appointment. The rank-and-file says that has not happened. They say he tried to hire his friends and he has come down hard on the rank-and-file.

FOP President Sgt. Tommy Reyes said, “People demoted for no reason, a captain was rolled back to lieutenant for no reason at all and discipline has been handed it out like he was giving out Halloween candy.”

The breaking point happened last month when the police union tweeted about him telling officers during a roll call that the department is run by the Cuban mafia.

Neither the union nor the commission can fire Acevedo. Only the city manager has that power, although the commission can fire the city manager.