City Of Miami Comes Under Scrutiny For Reasons Behind Firing Police Chief Art Acevedo

MIAMI (CBSMiami) - One by one, the City of Miami commissioners voted in favor of firing Police Chief Art Acevedo.

All of this happened Friday night during a commission meeting.

The former chief of just six months didn't challenge the decision and responded with a brief and emotional goodbye.

Now, the City of Miami is under scrutiny for the reasons behind its decision to fire the chief of police.

"The commission did not like the fact that Acevedo didn't come from within," says Juan-Carlos "J.C." Planas.

City leaders and community members questioned Former Police Chief Art Acevedo's decisions; like taking pictures with a known Proud Boys member, joking that the police force is run by the Cuban Mafia and firing several high-ranking officers.

"When you hire an outside person it's like hiring a head coach of a football team. They're going to come in and look to see who they want on their football team, who they don't want.. and they're going to make changes after a period of time," says Alex Piquero, Chair of the Department of Sociology & Criminology at the University of Miami.

Piquero questions the reasons leading to Acevedo's termination.

"None of that deals with public safety. None of that deals with building community ties which is what he was doing when he came here," he says.

Last month, Acevedo released an eight-page memo, criticizing the City of Miami Commissioners, accusing them of corruption.

"For those of us who have been watching the City of Miami for a while now, none of the accusations Acevedo made in his memo were a surprise," says Planas.

Elections & Ethics Attorney, Juan-Carlos Planas says the Commission and Acevedo clashed from the start.

"They like the folks at the Miami police department because they answer to them. I think a big part of the problem was that Acevedo did not cower down to the commission," he says.

Piquero believes the investigation into the termination of Art Acevedo will bring insight into what's been happening behind closed doors.

"What was not said is more important than what was said," he explains.

Experts say this will likely be a trial run for interim police chief, Manny Morales. They believe the city will do another search for a police chief.