Creative Loafing Tampa Bay first reported the incident, and after the story made headlines from CNN to the Guardian, Mayor Jane Castor asked for O’Connor’s resignation.
While this is certainly TPD’s wort moment of the year, it was just one of several unsettling incidents that occurred at the department. Much like last year, TPD just couldn’t stay clear of scandalous situations. From officers making jokes about shooting a dog, to a new federal investigation, 2022 has been rife with troubles for Tampa’s finest.
Here’s a rundown of some of the most unfortunate moments at the department over the past twelve months:
Tampa Police Chief Mary O’Connor resigned after flashing badge to get out of golf cart traffic violation
In November, Mary O’Connor was pulled over on a golf cart with her husband Keith O’Connor, who was driving. She took out her badge and told a Pinellas County Sheriff Deputy “I’m really hoping that you’ll just let us go tonight.” She also gave the PCSO deputy her business card and told him to let her know if he needs anything. The incident made international headlines and O’Connor was forced to resign. She lasted less than a year as police chief, and was appointed by Mayor Jane Castor to controversy because of a previous incident where she drunkenly punched a fellow cop.
A Tampa police officer shot a dog, and then made jokes about it
In 2021, a TPD officer shot Nala, a pitbull that neighbors described as loving and kind, in the head. This year, CL found that the officers who were involved in Nala’s shooting made jokes about it. On top of that, body camera video revealed that TPD officers stopped Nala’s owner from leaving for the veterinarian as the dog bled. Luckily, Nala survived. TPD decided that the officer who shot Nala, who had several problems during training, did not violate any department policies.
After keeping it from the pubic for months, it was discovered that TPD’s crime-free multi housing program was under federal investigation
In April, it was announced that TPD’s “crime-free multi housing” program, which targeted Black renters for eviction, is under federal investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice. Mayor Jane Castor, a former police chief who oversaw the program, kept the investigation a secret from the public for five months. Despite the investigation, Castor defended the program. Currently, the DOJ is looking to speak with victims of the program.
TPD’s controversial gunshot detection program unfairly targeted East Tampa, a predominantly Black community
In August, Tampa City Council considered the continued funding of ShotSpotter, a gunshot detection program that has landed innocent people in jail and caused controversy around the country. In November it was revealed that the technology only exists in East Tampa, where the residents are mostly Black. Two councilmen pointed out that this was unfair, and called for the location of the technology to be equitable.
TPD concealed neighborhood crime data, then had to restore it
Without notifying the public, TPD quietly changed the way it reported neighborhood crime data in January. The department decided to stop reporting crimes on a block level, and instead switch to a “grid” style reporting that covered multiple square miles instead. The problem is, this type of reporting of crime leads to inaccurate data, and makes it hard to tell where crimes are actually occurring. After CL wrote about the change, TPD switched back to block reporting, amid criticism from the public.
Black Tampa police officers said the department is racially biased
A Buzzfeed investigation into TPD revealed that Black police officers were having trouble overcoming what they called a “good old boy” system at the department, where white officers got preferential treatment to Black officers. Not only that, the officers also talked about white officers being racist toward everyday citizens while out in the field.
Tampa police use “geofencing” to investigate crimes, a spying tactic critics call unconstitutional
Tampa police are using a surveillance tactic that collects digital data to investigate suspected crimes. But the same tactic also spies on everyday citizens and is responsible for innocent people being wrongly accused of crimes, causing experts to call it unconstitutional. The spying method collects data from any electronic device that was in an area designated by the police, within a certain time range.
TPD charge Native American man with misdemeanor after protesting Tampa’s monument to the pedophile Christopher Columbus
TPD charged an Indigenous man with criminal mischief with less than $200 in damage after attending a protest against Tampa’s shameful Christopher Columbus statue on Oct. 15. At that protest, fake blood made of water and food coloring was thrown on the Columbus statue by protestors. For Indigenous people, Columbus represents pedophilia, slavery, rape and genocide. After the publication of this story, it was revealed that a second Indigenous person had also received charges.
TPD pushed for controversial noise ordinance in Ybor, then it was repealed
In January, there was uproar from business owners in Ybor over a noise ordinance that would allow TPD to ticket club owners for noise over a certain limit without a warning and limit all outdoor sound. Turns out TPD was helping push the ordinance, which was presented to the city council. Council initially approved the ordinance for the party district, but then reversed their decision after public outcry and questions about constitutional rights.
Former Tampa police chief says Tampa’s hideous “back the blue” mural should go
A testament to the stubbornness of Tampa leadership, the “back the blue” mural, which was illegally painted by right wingers during the George Floyd uprising in 2020, is still in downtown Tampa. It’s been the subject of mockery around the country, mainly because the artwork is horrible and it reads more like “Bock the Blub.” Former police chief Brian Dugan even said it needs to go, and noted that it looks like a “first grader’s art project.”
Tampa police officer who violently arrested innocent Black woman had a history of violations
This year it was revealed that in 2021, TPD officer Brigitte Curbelo violently arrested an innocent Black woman during a traffic stop. She was found to have violated four department policies and received a three day suspension as punishment. But a deeper look at Curbelo’s past revealed that she had several previous offenses.
Tampa police added a controversial mute function to body cameras
In April, TPD tried to sell what the department called a “minor” change to police body cameras. But in fact, the mute function that they were adding to body cameras has caused controversy around the country, especially in highly sensitive situations like police shootings and instances of officer misconduct. This is why St. Pete Police Department chose not to use the mute function, for the sake of transparency.
Tampa police chief and body camera provider were at odds over mute function
City council was concerned about the controversial aspects of the mute function, and asked Tampa police chief Mary O’Connor to find out if the use of the function can be tracked. O’Connor told council that there’s no way to track it. But the body camera provider told CL that there is in fact a way to do so, and sent an example which shows when and how long the mute function is used on a camera.
Before she was police chief, Mary O’Connor oversaw “Biking while Black” and “Renting while Black”
When O’Connor was working under current mayor and former police chief Jane Castor, she oversaw two racially biased programs, public records show. Both programs were subjects of federal investigations. Documents obtained by CL show emails between O’Connor and officers discussing plans to ramp-up bicycle stops in East Tampa, which came to be known as “biking while Black” and to speak in favor of “renting while Black” at a public event.
Data leak reveals Tampa police officer’s stepson is a member of neo-Nazi group Patriot Front
On Jan. 21, a journalist collective leaked chats from the white supremacist organization Patriot Front. One member and organizer, Calvin Stow-Ortiz, is the stepson of Tampa Police Department officer Antonio Ortiz-Saldana. In the chats, Stow-Ortiz said that he said that he planned on “absolutely destroying the Tampa-St. Pete area,” with the group’s neo-Nazi propaganda.
Tampa police officer got wasted at Busch Gardens, abused her power to cut a line, then resigned
This year it was revealed that a TPD captain retired early during an investigation into her drunkenly trying to use her badge to cut the line onto a Busch Gardens ride, then pushed an employee and cussed out a fellow officer in October of 2021. The captain was off duty, drunk, and tried to force her way to the front of the line for the “Cobra’s Curse” roller coaster, when all hell broke loose.
TPD’s officer of the month was fired then rehired, and violated policy 18 times in total
In May, TPD presented officer Algenis Maceo as the department’s officer of the month to city council. But it turns out Maceo had a sketchy police record. According to IA files, Maceo has 18 violations, six of which occurred after he was rehired in 2020 following a scandal that involved failure to properly document and record evidence, failure to comply with search and seizure policies, and more. He’s still on the streets, handling highly sensitive gun and drug seizures.
Tampa police officers made several DUI arrests below the legal limit, and an officer alleged forced quotas
In June, TPD admitted that its DUI squad made several arrests when drivers blew beneath the legal alcohol limit. At a Tampa’s Citizens Review Board meeting, a TPD DUI squad officer accused his supervisor Sergeant Anthony Portman of “destroying morale” by imposing DUI quotas on the squad, along with other questionable behavior.
Police union leader surveilled an activist who pushed for police transparency, and then city council suggested an internal affairs investigation
In November, Tampa City Council members suggested an internal affairs investigation into a police officer, who is also a high-ranking member of the police union, to learn the extent of opposition research he did on a local activist who has pushed for police transparency. TPD has not yet said if the IA investigation took place.
Tampa City Council blocked subpoena power for the police department, after pressure from police chief
For years, the community has asked for the Police Citizen’s Review Board (CRB) to have more power via obtaining subpoena power for obtaining evidence. The CRB voted to recommend that city council leave the matter up to the voters. But in November, council made an undemocratic move and decided against letting the public vote on the matter, after being lobbied by former TPD Chief Mary O’ Connor.
Tampa police officer resigned after using homophobic slurs during an arrest
Like several of the disturbing TPD stories that were revealed this year, this one occurred back in 2020. Because of a lack of transparency from the department, scandals often stay hidden for years. This one happened at a Walmart, where arresting officer Bryan Perry called a suspect the “F-word” multiple times. The officer resigned during an investigation into the incident.
HART bus seats fully reinstalled after TPD requested them removed
Last year, CL found that Tampa’s Metro Rapid bus stop seats had all been removed, per the request of TPD. At the beginning of this year, HART finished fully reinstalling all of the seats, despite the police department not wanting people to be able to sit out of concern that it leads to more crime.
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This article appears in Dec 22-28, 2022.