Tampa police chief placed on leave:

[Aidokea]

https://www.wfla.com/news/hillsborou...-traffic-stop/

I think "badging" to try to get out of a ticket is really poor form, but after watching the video, I don't think it was as big a deal as it's being made out to be.

I'm not even sure I'd call that "badging", as much as she was simply identifying herself as off-duty law enforcement.

She wasn't the offender in that stop, her husband was. She didn't demand anything. She didn't even ask for anything. All she did, was respectfully express her hope, that the officer would choose to exercise discretion.

And we've all exercised discretion thousands of times, with $#!+birds, other cops, and the immediate family members of other cops.

[scotty_appleton814]

This is foolishness. I don't understand how this is even a story. This is no different to the enforcement action we've all taken thousands of times during our careers.

[Iowa #1603]

This is foolishness. I don't understand how this is even a story. This is no different to the enforcement action we've all taken thousands of times during our careers.

It's a story because of the spotlight we are in as LEO's AND more importantly because she is a Chief of a large department in the area. As a decision maker on the misconduct of members of her agency she should be totally above reproach.
It is a story because someone in the Sheriff's Office leaked or purposely published the body cam footage .

It's a nothing story but I bet it has implications to the Chief

[BNWS]

I've had federal judges, chiefs of police, firemen, bus drivers, nurses, doctors old ladies ,cops from many jusisdictions and just plain polite people ask me for a break. For the most part I gave It. There were just too many S**theads that I could write where I could easily meet depeartment expectations.

[LA Copper]

It's a story because she's the chief of police who should be setting the example for her personnel. Plus, she had controversy in her past, which was made an issue when they were deciding to hire her as chief. It's also a story because it's on video for all to see.

Why doesn't the golf cart have the "tags" it's supposed to have?

Why is she badging herself and asking to be let go, knowing full well she's on body worn video?

Why is she handing a deputy from a different department her business card and telling him if he ever needs anything to give her a call? Isn't there a chain of command thing there? Since when does the lowest ranking person call the highest-ranking person and ask them for a favor? Sounds like the old, "quid pro quo" to help them get out of the potential citation. The quid pro quo thing seems to be a big deal nowadays and thrown around a lot by the media.

She makes a pretty good salary. If he were to write her husband a citation, why not just take it and pay it. That would be the more honorable thing to do, especially as the leader of her agency and the one who hands out discipline to her subordinates.

The other question is, how did this get out to the media? Someone with some "juice" had to authorize its release, otherwise this deputy would be in hot water himself. Just wondering about that part of it.

In the big scheme of things, it's not that big of a deal, hopefully they won't make it one.

[Aidokea]

I'm with you on all points, except that she didn't actually ask for anything.

[LA Copper]

When she said, "I'm hoping you'll just let us go tonight," she was asking to not receive a citation for driving the golf cart without the proper tags. That's asking for something.

It's not that big a deal, but it is asking for something.

[Bing_Oh]

If she's on paid admin leave, they're making a big deal of it. You don't give someone free vacation unless they A. shot somebody or B. are gonna get major discipline (ie, big suspension, demotion, or termination).

[Joe2845]

Just don't do dumb stuff. Sure, it happens, but If you're a police chief, you should know that you're under a microscope. If you get cited, so be it. I'm guessing at this point she'd rather have let her husband get cited or warned.

[NolaT]

A better route would have been to let the officer know she’s armed, commissioned out of @@@@@, then shut up; they know you’re a fellow officer, they can handle it as they wish,……

[just joe]

I've got a feeling that she doesn't carry off duty.

[NolaT]

Insane to not carry,……

[just joe]

She just resigned.

[Iowa #1603]

Probably for the best........

[Aidokea]

Wow.......

[BNWS]

The tag would have cost her less.

[Aidokea]

Handing him a business card while telling him to call her if he ever needs anything, was poor judgement.

But I still think this whole thing was blown way out of proportion.

[NolaT]

She just resigned.

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2022/12/05/us/tampa-police-chief-mary-oconnor-resigns/index.html

[HI629]

Somebody wanted her out, and this leaked video was the dirt they needed to get her out.

[orangebottle]

I don't know how anyone can watch that video and not clearly see that she was:
A) Using her role as a LEO/Chief to avoid some type of enforcement action.
B) Extending some quid pro quo to the deputy for his actions.

Which, to me, begs the question, Why? Was she really concerned about getting a ticket for operating an unregistered vehicle on a roadway? Or was there a deeper concern of a more serious offense? It was noted they were on their way home from a restaurant. Do they serve alcohol at that restaurant?

Makes one wonder.

[BNWS]

Handing him a business card while telling him to call her if he ever needs anything, was poor judgement.

But I still think this whole thing was blown way out of proportion.

Handing him her Id card without saying anything would have probably gotten the result she desired with out the damaging video.

[Aidokea]

I would have just accepted the traffic infraction.

But then again, I would never have accepted a promotion above lowly patrolman.