TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa Mayor Jane Castor named Mary O'Connor as the city’s new chief of police. She will be the second woman in the city's history to hold that role, following Castor.
"Mary O'Connor bleeds blue like I do," Castor said.
If Tampa City Council members approve Castor's appointment, O'Connor could start as soon as next week, the mayor said.
The city says the council has 90 days to confirm the mayor's appointment.
O’Connor had previously served for 22 years with the Tampa Police Department and retired in 2016 as the assistant chief of operations. She spent the past five years consulting with some of the top law enforcement agencies in the nation.
The combination of service and experience set her apart, Castor said, saying it "just lifted her up to the position of chief of police.”
O'Connor is set to become the city's 43rd chief.
"I spent the first 22 years of my career serving the community of Tampa. As the mayor mentioned, I spent the last five years traveling throughout the United States working with law enforcement agencies and I can tell you, without a doubt, TPD is the best police department in this nation," O'Connor said.
She says her first priority after becoming chief is connecting with the community, adding she believes "in building a team approach to the crime fight."
"As I stand before you today, I am committed to finding new ways of working together as a team to ensure that the community and every member of it has a voice in its police department," O'Connor said.
She also said "combating" rising violent crime rates is one of her top priorities as the new chief.
Noting the burden of numerous duties asked of police officers, O'Connor said she would work to partner with social services to provide people with the "help and assistance they truly need."
"We simply cannot arrest our way out of the problem," she added.
O'Connor also stated officer wellness would be another top priority during her tenure as chief, noting "a healthy community starts with a healthy workforce."
"It's been a hard time to be a police officer in this country. We need to make sure our officers who are out there putting their lives on the line for the safety of this community feel supported because it's the right thing to do," she said.
Interim Chief Ruben "Butch" Delgado, who will stay on as an assistant, also briefly spoke during O'Connor's announcement. Delgado and Assistant Chief Cherise Giordani Gause of the Miami Police Department were considered but ultimately not selected for the role of chief.
"I'm confident that the Tampa Police Department has 1,300 plus employees, both professional staff and sworn, and I can tell you that they haven't missed a beat during this process or any process of keeping this city safe," Delgado said. "I look forward to being part of that team moving forward and I'm just ready to get to work."
When asked about "bridging the gap" between the Police Benevolent Association and the Citizen's Review Board, O'Connor said she believes everyone "has to come to the table and voice their concerns and a lot of times I think we have to meet somewhere in the middle and come up with a fair compromise for all."
Yvette Lewis, President of the Hillsborough NAACP chapter, says building community trust will be challenging.
“I think we should’ve been more involved in the conversation, at least,” said Lewis, who would have preferred the organization had more input in the selection process.
Lewis says O’Connor spent years at the department in which she was also part of its infamous biking while Black initiative, which the U.S. Justice Department found disproportionately targeted African Americans.
“I do believe she does have a challenge,” Lewis said. “And I’m going to be watching and observing her interactions in the community.”