TAMPA, Fla. – Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw is retiring.
According to Mayor Jane Castor and the city council, Bercaw plans to retire and take an associate professor job at the University of South Florida.
Bercaw was named interim chief for the Tampa Police Department in late 2022 after then-chief Mary O’Connor resigned. Bercaw was officially approved by the city council in June 2023.
Bercaw, 54, joined TPD in 1997.
He holds a doctorate in Criminal Justice from St. Leo University, as well as a Master of Arts in Criminal Justice Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Criminology from USF.
At the time of his unanimous approval, Bercaw was already set for retirement in 2024 under the state’s DROP plan. He was then rehired with a new contract and pay raise.
His last day with the department will be August 6. Assistant Police Chief Brett Owen will serve as acting chief until a new one is chosen.