TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa’s Chief of Police, Lee Bercaw, has been the department’s top cop for 100 days now.
“I can't believe it's been 100 days,” he said, sitting down to talk about his first few months. “It's gone by so quick.”
In his 26 years at TPD, Bercaw has done it all. But even as interim chief for six months, he couldn't have the impact — the ability to shape policy — that he had in his first 100 days on the job as chief.
True to his word, Bercaw regularly pounds the pavement in Tampa. Community-oriented policing is — and will be, he says — a top priority.
It’s key, he says, to gaining trust, forging relationships, and bringing crime stats down. Bercaw says lowering crime statistics is one thing but ensuring that people actually feel safe in the city is another. It's why he says it's so important to have officers out in the community, visible — and approachable.
“Our murders are down by 20 percent to date. We're getting more and more people calling us,” Bercaw said. “Our violent crime with a firearm is down nearly 12.5 percent. So, we are seeing that, and I think that's because our community members are more engaged with us and feel more comfortable calling us and giving us tips.”
Bercaw has also made wellness among his own police officers a top priority. Physical and mental.
Two weeks ago, TPD launched a peer-to-peer counseling group to encourage officers to talk things out with each other.
“So, just having that ability, because it's always we are the first respond, but maybe the last a call. We're trying to take that stigma away to where police officers feel comfortable to talk about maybe some things that are going on that mentally are, you know, adversely impacting them,” Bercaw said.
As busy as he is, Bercaw also continues to teach criminal justice classes at the University of South Florida.
And now with the official title of chief, he's wasted no time promoting 50 officers from within.
Important, he says, when it comes to TPD's future. The next 100 days — and well beyond.
“Continue the community-oriented policing. Continue to enhance it. And get the next generation ready. Obviously, we are not going to be in our roles forever,” Bercaw said. “And the goal is to have somebody trained and ready to go in the next leadership role that will even do a better job than you.”