TAMPA, Fla. — A week after Tampa City Council members voted to confirm Mary O'Connor as the city's 43rd chief of police, the department held a swearing-in ceremony for the new police chief.
With Mayor Jane Castor present, O'Connor placed her left hand on the Bible with her right hand raised in the air and recited the Oath of Office.
"I'm honored, humbled and blessed to be officially sworn in as the chief of police of the Tampa Police Department which is the finest police department in the nation," O'Connor said during her speech. "Mayor Castor, this opportunity is incredible. I am going to make you proud."
The mayor made sure to share kind words about her pick for chief of police.
"The continued success of the Tampa Police Department is predicated on a strong leader and Mary O'Connor is that strong leader who will successfully guide the Tampa Police Department into the future and keep our community safe," Castor said.
"I can say unequivocally that since I announced that Mary O'Connor would be our next chief of police over six weeks ago, she has gone about proving each and every day that she indeed is the best person to lead the Tampa Police Department."
The ceremony took place Friday morning at Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park.
Watch the full swearing-in ceremony down below:
O'Connor was named as the city's new chief of police in February by Mayor Castor. However, her pick was met with controversy.
One reason is what critics have viewed as a lack of transparency in the hiring process. Some city council members complained that the public wasn't involved in the effort.
The loudest backlash, however, came from an old arrest of the new chief — O'Connor (Minter, at the time). She was arrested in May 1995 for battery on a law enforcement officer. O'Connor was a new officer with the Tampa Police Department back then.
According to the police department, O'Connor spent the first 22 years of her career in law enforcement serving Tampa communities. She rose through the ranks, becoming an assistant chief before retiring in 2016.