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'Maybe I’ll be back' | Art Acevedo hints at return to Texas as he leaves for top cop job in Miami

Art Acevedo might be leaving the Houston Police Department for the top gig in Miami, but he said he wouldn't rule out a Texas return in the future.

HOUSTON — Art Acevedo spoke in Houston about why he made the decision to accept the Chief of Police position in Miami. He sat down with KHOU 11 News to talk about what persuaded him to take the job and who he thinks his replacement should be at the Houston Police Department, the one he led for four years.

RELATED: HPD Chief Art Acevedo calls decision to go to Miami 'a journey of faith'

“It’s tough to say goodbye to a great police department, to a mayor who was so supportive,” Acevedo said. “I’ll be leaving a big chunk of my heart here. Goodbyes are never easy.”

Acevedo arrived in Houston in late 2016 and said that while reflecting on his time in Houston there are things he regrets he couldn’t fix.

“I’ve got a lot of regrets, I regret having lost six officers. I regret not requiring my officers right off the bat to stay during Hurricane Harvey,” Acevedo said. “I think people forget that we held everybody hostage here for six full 24-hour shifts, I didn’t let anyone go home, but I didn’t do that until Saturday night.”

Acevedo said that night was when the department lost Sgt. Steven Perez.

As for who will be the next person to lead HPD, Acevedo has been vocal about his support for internal candidates. He has frequently mentioned Executive Assistant Chiefs Troy Finner and Matt Slinkard.

RELATED: Mayor Turner congratulates Acevedo, says interim HPD chief will be named this week

“I personally think it should be one of those two because they’ve been the right arms of the police chief, but everyone’s capable,” Acevedo said. “If you’re not capable around this table in my administration, then you are shown the door.”

KHOU 11 News asked Acevedo if he’s been approached for a political run in Florida and if that’s something he would consider.

“I’ve been asked if I’m running for all kinds of things here, but I’ll leave it at that. I don’t think I’m electable and it’s not really what I want to do right now,” he said.

While many have questioned his decision to move to a smaller city, Acevedo said he doesn’t think of Miami as smaller. For him, it’s about the heart.

“It’s a city that I love. If you can’t figure out why going to South Florida for a Cuban would appeal to me, I’ve got family there, my last living aunt is there,” he said.

On his plans beyond Miami, Acevedo said he’s not ruling out a move back to Texas.

“I don’t have a crystal ball, but I can tell you my heart will always be in serving the public. I love public service, serving the people of Houston and Austin, and just Texas, by weighing in on all these issues,” he said. “You never know, maybe I’ll be back one day like Arnold Schwarzenegger – maybe I’ll be back, who knows.”

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