Chief Art Acevedo is a lifelong public servant, dedicated husband, father of three, and proud Cuban immigrant who got his first taste of American freedom in Miami. Nothing would honor his heritage more than serving the very county that first welcomed him – a place he still considers his home away from home.
Born in Havana, Cuba under the communist Castro regime, Chief Acevedo’s family immigrated to the United States on December 26, 1968, when he was just four years old. He distinctly remembers being processed at La Casa De Libertad – World War II barracks adjacent to Miami International Airport – after he arrived.
He is the son and nephew of anti-communist fighters, political prisoners, and a member of the heroic Brigade 2506. Like so many other Miami-Dade families, Chief Acevedo’s parents told him stories about how his homeland was destroyed by an authoritarian who proclaimed himself a great liberator only to turn into a dictator who exploited Cubans for his own good.
After his family moved to California, Chief Acevedo earned a Bachelor of Science in Public Administration from the University of La Verne. He became an American citizen and wanted to serve his country and the communities that raised him.
He began his law enforcement career in East Los Angeles, rose through the ranks, and was named Chief of the California Highway Patrol in 2005. After that, he served as Chief of Police in Austin, Texas, for more than nine years, and Chief of Police in Houston, for more than four years. Chief Acevedo is a past president, and lifetime member of the Major Cities Chiefs Association and a lifetime member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police.
