A Florida police chief who flashed her badge and asked to be let out of a traffic stop has resigned, Tampa officials said Monday.
“Tampa Mayor Jane Castor requested and received the resignation of Police Chief Mary O’Connor following the completion of an Internal Affairs investigation into a recent traffic stop involving O’Connor,” according to a statement from the mayor’s office.
O’Connor was placed on administrative leave after body camera video taken of a traffic stop last month revealed she told a sheriff’s deputy she “hopes you’ll let us go tonight” and flashed her badge, CNN reported.
O’Connor was a passenger in a golf cart that was pulled over for driving on a road without a license plate, according to footage of the Nov. 12 incident from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.
As the deputy explained why the couple was stopped, O’Connor asked if the deputy’s body camera was working and then identified herself as the Tampa police chief.
“I hope you’ll let us go tonight,” O’Connor said before showing her badge to the deputy.
O’Connor apologized to the MP and then handed him her business card. “If you need anything, call me. Seriously,” O’Connor said.
She and the deputy thanked each other for their service and the couple was let go.
The mayor warned against O’Connor’s actions in a statement released Monday.
“The Tampa Police Department has a code of conduct that includes high standards of ethical and professional conduct that apply to every member of our police force. As a Chief of Police, you must not only uphold and enforce these standards, but lead by example. That obviously did not happen in this case,” Castor said.
“It is unacceptable for any public official, and especially the city’s top law enforcement officer, to seek special treatment because of their position.”
The mayor recognized O’Connor’s contributions as police chief, including “reducing violent gun crime, proactively working with our community and focusing on officer wellness,” Castor said.
“But those accomplishments pale in comparison to the priority I place on integrity.”
In a resignation letter Monday, O’Connor wrote that she “would never want my personal mistake to stand in the way of the progress I have made in mending the relationship between the police department and the community, so for that reason, I am resigning.” .
The mayor expects the national search and hiring process for a new Tampa police chief to take several months, she said.
Assistant Police Chief Lee Bercaw will serve as interim police chief.
“In Lee Bercaw, we have a thoughtful and highly respected leader in progressive policing,” Castor said. “I’m grateful that he can hit the ground running and continue to work with our community to keep our city safe.”
