Mary O’Connor: Police chief resigns for flashing badge to be excused for illegally driving golf cart
TAMPA, FLORIDA: Mary O'Connor, police chief of Tampa, Florida, has resigned after using her authority during a traffic stop in November. The news was confirmed by Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, who made the announcement Monday, December 5. The decision came amid an ongoing Interior Department investigation into the November 12 incident. O'Connor's husband was behind the wheel when the couple was driving a golf cart on a public road. They didn't have a license plate that evening when they were stopped by a Pinellas County Sheriff's Office deputy in Oldsmar, according to the Tampa Police Department (TPD) on December 1.
The department also shared the bodycam footage on TPD’s YouTube page, where O’Connor is seen trying to hand the deputy her badge after she asked whether his camera was on. "I'm the police chief in Tampa," she is heard saying, before adding: "I'm hoping you'll just let us go tonight." The former chief of police also hands over her business card to the deputy and told him, "If you need anything, call me — seriously."
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On November 30, O’Connor informed the mayor of the incident, and in a later interview she said, the reason behind sharing her identity with the officer was ‘for safety’, though, she added it was wrong of her to request the deputy and avoid a ticket.
O’Connor in a statement admitted her mistake and said it was a ‘poor judgment’ on her part, “In hindsight, I realize how my handling of this matter could be viewed as inappropriate, but that was certainly not my intent." In her statement, it read, "As someone who has dealt with, taken ownership of, and grown from my past mistakes, I know that no one is above the law, including me.”
In 1995, O’Connor was let go of her duties by the department after she was arrested for battery and obstruction during a traffic stop for drunk driving involving her future husband during her first year in uniform, reported The Tampa Bay Times. She was, however, taken back in the same year. "I had high hope for Chief O'Connor, as she was off to such a strong start by reducing violent gun crime, proactively engaging with our community, and focusing on officer wellness," Castor said on Monday. "But these accomplishments pale in comparison to the priority I place on integrity," reports People.
Presently, her role is taken up by Assistant Chief Lee Bercaw, who is a 25-year veteran of the department, as the department looks for a new chief.
