Tampa Police Chief Will Be On Administrative Leave While Traffic Stop In Oldsmar Investigated

Tampa Police Chief

Tampa Police Chief Mary O’Connor was pulled over by Pinellas County Sheriff’s deputy on November 12. And now, because of what took place during that stop, O’Connor has been placed on administrative leave.

According to Mayor Castor, Assistant Chief Lee Bercaw will serve in O’Connor’s place during an investigation into the aforementioned traffic stop.

Our friends at ABC Action News have been covering this story.

O’Connor was stopped on November 12 (with her husband) for operating a golf cart without a license plate.

During the stop, Chief O’Connor inquired as to whether or not she was being recorded (by a body cam), and she showed the deputy her badge.

Here is the recent statement released by Chief Mary O’Connor:

“It was poor judgment on our part to be driving a golf cart on a public roadway without the appropriate tags. This was the first time we had exited the golf-cart-friendly community in which we own property with this vehicle, prompting the need for a license plate. In hindsight, I realize how my handling of this matter could be viewed as inappropriate, but that was certainly not my intent. I knew my conversation was on video, and my motive was not to put the deputy in an uncomfortable position. I have personally called the Pinellas County Sheriff offering to pay for any potential citation. I have expressed great remorse to the Mayor, and I apologize to the residents of Tampa who have a reasonable expectation of better judgment from their chief of police. As someone who has dealt with, taken ownership of and grown from my past mistakes, I know that no one is above the law, including me.”

In Tampa Mayor Jane Castor’s statement, she explained:

“We hold everyone accountable, no matter their position, and this behavior was unacceptable. Chief O’Connor will go through the due process and face appropriate discipline.”

We spoke about it on the MJ Morning Show. MJ is extraordinarily passionate about people driving golf carts on roads where there are regular vehicles. He hates it because it is so dangerous!

4 Florida Cities Among America's Top 10 College Towns For 2023

Are you headed off to college in 2023? Perhaps your kids are getting ready to start their college career. Which towns and cities are the best?

Wallethub.com put together the list. Their experts based their list on 32 indicators that reflect the “academic, social and economic opportunities” for the students. This includes economic details such as housing costs, average cost pizza and burgers, cost of higher education, and student debt per person. They also factored in the social environment: students per capita, nightlife options per capita, shopping centers per capita, the crime rate, and even cafes per capita.

Finally, they added in the opportunities for students, both academic and economic. This includes the quality of higher education, earning potential for graduates, unemployment rate, “brain drain,” and job-growth rate.

So, putting it all together, what are the top college towns and cities? Florida was well-represented in the top 10.

10. Raleigh, North Carolina
Home of North Carolina State University.

NC State Wolfpack mascot Mr Wuf visits the Empire State Building in New York City. (Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for Empire State Realty Trust)
9. Miami, FL
Home to many colleges and universities including University of Miami, Florida International University, Florida Atlantic University.

Sebastian the Ibis leads the Miami Hurricanes onto the field in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images)
8. Scottsdale, AZ
Arizona State University is in neighboring Tempe. The city of Scottsdale was ranked #1 in Academic and Economic Opportunities.

The Arizona State Sun Devils mascot Sparky the Sun Devil performs on the sideline.
(Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)
7. Provo, UT
Brigham Young University has called Provo home since 1875. Wallethub.com ranked BYU #2 in “Cost of Higher Education.”

Brigham Young Cougars mascot Cosmo the Cougar performs. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
6. Rexburg, ID
Rexburg? Home of BYU-Idaho, formerly known as Ricks College. Rexburg was ranked #8 in the country in “Wallet Friendliness”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xq17AACR6zE
5. Tampa, FL
Home to University of Tampa, University of South Florida, along with some other nearby schools such as St. Pete College and Stetson University College of Law.

1: Rocky the Bull from University of South Florida Bulls looks on in a game at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
4. Gainesville, FL
University of Florida and Santa Fe College each find their home in Gainesville.

Albert, the mascot for the Florida Gators, performs during a game.. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
3. Orlando, FL
Schools that find their homes in Orlando include University of Central Florida. Florida A&M University College of Law and
Florida State University College of Medicine.

A UCF Knights helmet sits on the field. (Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images)
2. Ann Arbor, MI
Ann Arbor is the home of the University of Michigan. It was also the highest ranked small city on the list.

Michigan Wolverines jump past the Michigan banner prior to game. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
1. Austin, TX
Home of University of Texas at Austin, flagship of the Texas university system.

Bevo, the Texas Longhorn, attends a game at Texas Memorial Stadium.
(Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)