TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The Tampa City Council unanimously approved Lee Bercaw as interim Police Chief on Thursday.
The decision comes after weeks of turmoil and controversy surrounding former Police Chief Mary O’Connor, who resigned at the request of Tampa Mayor Jane Castor after she pulled out her badge during a traffic stop in Pinellas County during a November incident.
A Pinellas County sheriff’s deputy pulled over O’Connor and her husband for driving thier golf cart on a city street without a legal tag. O’Connor told the deputy she was the police chief in Tampa.
Mayor Castor said the act was especially disappointing because she had given O’Connor a second chance when she hired her.
On Thursday, Bercaw formerly introduced himself to City Council Members.
Bercaw first joined the Tampa Police Department in 1997 and has served in all three of the city’s police districts. He said he intends to move the department forward.
“In my first week in this role, I dedicated time to meet with community leaders, directly addressed our neighborhood watch groups, civic leaders, and spoke with law enforcement chiefs and sheriff’s across Tampa Bay to express my desire to serve in partnership,” Bercaw said.
Tampa City Council members had only positive things to say about Bercaw’s appointment as Interim Chief.
“I’m happy to support you today, again your reputation speaks for itself,” Council Member Guido Maniscalco said. “You’re a good person, you’re always in the community, I’ve seen you in a variety of capacities and again not a single criticism from anybody, always complimentary of what you do.”
“I think that the biggest thing, and we spoke about this, the Tampa Police Department needs after the acute nature of the prior nomination, the uproar that happened after that and then the things that happened two weeks ago, is stability,” Council Member Luis Viera said. “Our officers need stability and you are stability.”
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said she intends to hire an outside firm to conduct a nationwide search for a permanent Police Chief.