The police chief in Tampa, Florida, resigned Monday after utilizing her place to flee a ticket throughout a site visitors cease involving a golf cart pushed by her husband.
Mary O’Connor submitted her resignation after an inside affairs evaluate discovered she violated police division coverage in the course of the Nov. 12 cease by a Pinellas County sheriff’s deputy.
During that cease — which was recorded on video by the deputy’s physique digicam — O’Connor recognized herself because the Tampa chief, flashed her badge and stated, “I’m hoping you will let us go tonight.”
The deputy issued solely a verbal warning as a substitute of a quotation. The golf cart didn’t have a license tag, a requirement for when such automobiles are pushed on public streets. O’Connor’s husband, Keith, stated they’d simply come from a restaurant and did not normally drive the cart on streets.
The inside evaluate discovered O’Connor, who had been on the job lower than a yr, violated laws on requirements of conduct and “abuse of position or identification.”
“The Tampa Police Department has a code of conduct that includes high standards for ethical and professional behavior that apply to every member of our police force,” Mayor Jane Castor — herself a former Tampa police chief — stated in a press release requesting the resignation. “As the Chief of Police, you are not only to abide by and enforce those standards but to also lead by example. That clearly did not happen in this case.”
Castor appointed Lee Bercaw, who was assistant chief, as appearing chief whereas a nationwide search begins.
“In Lee Bercaw, we have a thoughtful and highly regarded leader in progressive policing. I am grateful he can hit the ground running and continue working with our community to keep our city safe,” Castor stated within the assertion.
Last week, O’Connor issued a press release apologizing for her conduct.
“In hindsight, I realize how my handling of this matter could be viewed as inappropriate, but that was certainly not my intent,” she stated.
In her resignation letter, O’Connor touted her accomplishments as police chief however took duty for her actions.
“I would never want my personal mistake to stand in the way of the progress I have made in mending relationships between the police department and the community,” she wrote, “so for that reason, I am resigning.”