Following the surprise retirement of Chief Lee Bercaw on Tuesday morning, Mayor Jane Castor appointed Brett Owen as Tampa’s acting police chief.
Owen, formerly an assistant police chief, will serve in the top role until a permanent replacement is appointed by the mayor and approved by the Tampa City Council.
Castor said she would leave that appointment to the incoming mayor, who has yet to be elected but will take over in May 2027.
“I believe wholeheartedly that the position of police chief is the most important decision in the entire administration,” Castor said. “That decision needs to be left to the next administration.”
Meanwhile, Owen will inherit a police department that hopes to continue denting violent crime rates and navigating technological advancements, including the rise of artificial intelligence and drone technology.
Owen hails from Ohio and was raised in Haines City, according to his biography on the Tampa Police Department website. He holds an associate degree in criminal justice from Polk Community College, a bachelor’s degree in public administration from Barry University and a master’s degree in criminal justice from Saint Leo University.
Owen joined the Tampa Police Department in 2002 after spending four years as a deputy with the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. He was promoted to deputy chief in the summer of 2024 and tapped as assistant police chief in January 2025.
Throughout his career, Owen has completed several specialized training programs focused on leadership and command management. He recently finished the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s chief executive seminar, a multiweek program focused on education for upper-leadership law enforcement members.
As assistant chief, Owen oversaw the department’s Criminal Investigations Division and Support Services Division, the latter of which manages training resources and supplies.
Owen also serves as a board member of the Police Athletic League, a nationwide nonprofit focused on fostering trust between youth and law enforcement officers. He aided efforts to bring the program back under the Tampa police umbrella.
In his free time,Owen enjoys woodworking, hunting, furniture repurposing and automotive restoration. His decision to join the police force was inspired by the 27-year career of his grandfather, who retired as a lieutenant from the Shaker Heights Police Department in Ohio.
Owen said Tuesday he was “humbled and honored” to assume the responsibilities of acting chief.
“I look forward to working alongside all of our patrol officers, our professional staff, supervisors, the mayor and her staff as we carry this agency to the next level,” Owen said. “It will no doubt be a challenge – crime is — but we look forward to it.”