TAMPA, Fla. — City council members approved the nomination made by Mayor Jane Castor to officially appoint Lee Bercaw as the chief of police Thursday morning.
The newly-appointed chief said during the city council meeting that the support he has from the community, his colleagues and his family helped cement his decision to accept the role.
"Our work is not finished. As we continue our positive momentum, we will expand our community-oriented policing approach at every level in the department," Bercaw said. "I look forward to working with you all, city council, the elected representatives of our community to hear about the concerns and work on common solutions."
According to his bio, Bercaw joined the department in 1997. Throughout his time at the Tampa Police Department, Bercaw worked in all three districts within the department.
His priorities center on community policing and continuing to take the department in what he calls a positive direction — not just reducing crime, but giving citizens the feeling that they are safe.
Earlier this month when the mayor shared her nomination, she made it clear she believes Bercaw is the best fit.
“I have gotten nothing but positive feedback on the job that Chief Bercaw has done and will continue to do into the future,” Castor said.
During the same conference, Bercaw said he is ready to take on the new role.
“I have basically grown up in this department over the last 27 years,” he explained.
Bercaw has been serving as the interim chief after former Chief Mary O’Connor resigned in December.
“Lee Bercaw has shown me day after day, as well as city council, as well as the union, as well as the men and women of the Tampa Police Department and in our community that we had the best candidate right here in the City of Tampa,” the mayor said earlier this month.
The mayor said she was impressed with Bercaw and the job he had been doing as interim chief over the past six months. Castor also sought input from Council members, community leaders, and the police union before announcing her selection.
Castor was widely criticized for her handling of the last police chief selection, pushing through her handpicked choice of Mary O'Connor, who resigned amid controversy in December.
Her resignation came after an internal affairs investigation into a golf cart traffic stop in which body camera video showed her displaying her credentials and saying, "I'm hoping that you'll just let us go tonight."
The Nov. 12 encounter in Pinellas County involving O'Connor's husband did not meet the level of "high standards for ethical and professional behavior that apply to every member of our police force," Castor said in a previous statement. O'Connor's husband was behind the wheel of the golf cart, which authorities say didn't have a license plate and was being driven outside a residential area.
Tampa City Council then voted unanimously on Dec. 15, 2022, to officially appoint Bercaw to the position of interim chief of police in Tampa. He has served that role ever since.
10 Tampa Bay's Andrea Chu and Claire Farrow contributed to this report.