Posted on 12/05/2022 12:55:18 PM PST by Impala64ssa
O’Connor tells Mayor Jane Castor she made a ‘personal mistake’
The Tampa Police Department chief who was caught on video flashing her badge during a traffic stop in hopes a deputy would "let her go" has resigned from her position Monday, telling the Florida city’s mayor she made a "personal mistake."
Mary O’Connor and her husband were pulled over by a Pinellas County deputy for driving a golf cart without a license plate tag on Nov. 12. O’Connor was sworn into the position in March after serving the department 22 years and was placed on administrative leave Saturday.
"I would never want my personal mistake to stand in the way of the progress I have made in mending relationships between the police department and the community, so for that reason, I am resigning," O’Connor wrote in a letter penned to Tampa Mayor Jane Castor.
"Whether I am wearing a badge or not, my commitment to service and oath of office will remain a part of my everyday life," she added. "I plan to use this time to reflect and spend time with my family and children before moving on to any future endeavors."
Castor 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.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Usually "professional, courtesy" extends mostly other police officers and law-enforcement agents, basically anyone who carries a gun and has arrest power. Spouses get a break because the officers have to pay for it as well..
Florida? I would think a cop would be relieved to know who he or she was dealing with.
Yep. You're right.
O'Connor, 51, who retired as assistant chief in 2016, had been fired from the department in 1996 after she was arrested after her future husband was stopped for drunken driving.
O'Connor kicked the windows of a patrol car and punched a deputy. She pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges of battery and obstruction. She was fired, then later reinstated.
In Florida, golf carts driven on paved streets need to be road worthy, and follow the rules of the road.
There is more history than covered in the story. She was a controversial hire into the position due to her history, which includes charges of battery on a law enforcement officer, obstruction and disorderly intoxication. Appointment as Tampa Police Chief was her “second chance” to make good. She failed in less than a year.
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