Mary O'Connor To Be Sworn In As 43rd Tampa Police Chief
O’Connor spent the first 22 years of her career in law enforcement serving Tampa communities.
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 will be holding a swearing-in ceremony for the new police chief.
The ceremony will take place at 9:30 a.m. Friday at Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park.
O’Connor was named as the city’s new chief of police in February by Mayor Jane Castor. However, her pick was met with controversy.
Why the 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 a Major before retiring in 2016.
