Tampa police chief Mary O’Connor resigns after video shows her flashing badge during traffic stop

Fox News ^ | 12/4/22 | Greg Norman

[Honest Nigerian]

Totally awesome outcome.
These “power players” are probably in the habit of requesting and receiving total treatment.
Actually, the former Orlando Police Chief did far worse and was cleared (by her own department - heh heh heh). That was Val Demings who left a department issued firearm in her department vehicle.
Demings broke the rules right there. But it only came to light because firearm was stolen while the vehicle was parked at her home.
How many times had Demings (and/or others) done the same and just been lucky?

[TiGuy22]

How do we all know if she’s “guilty”?

[livius]

It was a stupid thing to do. But people do stupid things all the time.

[Republican in occupied CA]

I had a friend in HR once tell me that the thing that REALLY amazed her was the number of people fired for stealing; and it was almost always something utterly trivial. A package of batteries, a wall clock, a small cheap router. Not even something like a computer or monitor, usually things not even worth their hourly pay!

[moovova]

"Really? You're firing me? Do you know who I am?"

[Republican in occupied CA]

Show me a cop who calls us ‘Civilians’ and I’ll show you someone who needs to be fired and prevented from ever owning a firearm again.

[Codeflier]

You are spot on. In fact, you make a big deal about how you screwed up and tell them what a great job they are doing. Then behind the scenes, it suddenly goes bye bye.

[Codeflier]

She is seriously guilty!

[Republican in occupied CA]

You lose the right to do ‘stupid’ stuff (without severe penalty) the second you pin on that badge and strap on that gun.
The State gives you authority, even life and death power over your fellow citizens; your fellow citizens expect you to make exactly the right call in any and every circumstances or find other employment before an innocent taxpayer dies.

[TiGuy22]

OK, I clicked through, I can’t unsee it, ouch! :-)

[Codeflier]

Next time just take my word for it. LOL.

[livius]

Absolutely. That’s why I can’t understand why people (with positions of power) are this stupid.

[fr_freak]

I am as amazed by this story as anyone on FR, given that I thought it was SOP to refuse to cite fellow officers. However, there is one thing about this story that people here seemed to have missed that really jumped out at me:

pulled over by a Pinellas County deputy for driving a golf cart without a license plate tag

A golf cart? Where they on or near a golf course? If so, what kind of cop would pull somebody over for that? Were they driving the golf cart nowhere near a golf course, as if they were taking a trip to the store, and they got pulled over? Did the "journalist" just not know the difference between a golf cart and other, non-car vehicles, such as ATVs and the like? And finally, why th hell does a golf cart need a license plate tag? What's next on the registration list - big wheels?

[One4Life]

Exactly. Her flashing her badge is the LEAST of my concerns. Really. Whatever. A golf cart? Please.

[Ol' Dan Tucker]

Fester Chugabrew wrote: I heard she just plain ‘ol got terminated

She did. From the article:

Castor (Tampa Mayor) tweeted that she had asked for O’Connor’s resignation and now "Assistant Chief Lee Bercaw will serve as acting chief while a comprehensive national search is conducted" for her replacement.

V_TWIN wrote: Her action in resigning seems a bit draconian.

She was asked to resign by the Mayor. IOW, she was fired. But, because she was asked to resign and complied, she can tell the next department that she quit of her own accord. Pretty slippery.

[missnry]

If she would have been a FOUR Star Police Chief instead of a THREE star Police Chief then she would have probably been given a pass! /s

How do all these police departments decide what to put on their collars? Inquiring minds want to know.

[LeoTDB69]

“professional courtesy”

Speaking of why sharks do not eat lawyers :D

*old joke but still a good one

[Ol' Dan Tucker]

I am as amazed by this story as anyone on FR, given that I thought it was SOP to refuse to cite fellow officers.

I'm more surprised the deputy who stopped her didn't simply turn off the camera, then let her go. Instead the footage was released to the public.

As someone wrote above, there might be some friction between the county and the city and the deputy decided to make an example of her.

[Glad2bnuts]

If a Police officer does not remark the first thing out of the box during a traffic stop, by words or by showing the Badge, they are derelict in their duty. It is like showing your Concealed Carry card or notifying the officer that there is a weapon in the vehicle.

[TalBlack]

You open your wallet in getting your license. The id is visible. You retrieve your license, close the wallet. Your id was seen or not seen , whatever.