I have been writing a lot about leadership for the past 40 years. One of my major points regarding police leaders is that they need to speak up. Chief Art Acevedo of Houston does that. What he has to say may be provoking — but its is necessary.

I think he’s on the right track!

You can read his recent interview in the Texas Monthly HERE.

Here’s a preview:

“Here’s what people have to remember, whether they’re the [police] union or anyone else: We have to police everybody. We have to respect everybody. Because we rely on the consent of the people that we serve and protect, we need to understand their values…”

“I want to be a twenty-first-century police chief. I think most police chiefs today, what they want to do is change from the ‘Hey, let’s be tough on crime’ mind-set to a mind-set of ‘Let’s be appropriate on crime. Let’s be strategic on crime. Let’s make decisions based on the threat a person truly poses.’ To me, being progressive means that when it comes to people who aren’t hurting others, we need to focus on the restorative approach, to help them get their lives on track…”