Mayor Bob Buckhorn has named Assistant Chief Eric Ward as the new police chief to replace retiring Chief Jane Castor.
Castor is set to retire May 8.
"All I wanted to do was be a police officer," said Ward. "All I wanted to do was be like the guy I saw on TV."
Deputy Chief Eric Ward emerged as a favorite over the other two finalists, Deputy Chief Brian Dugan and Deputy Chief Mary O'Connor.
"I didn't feel the need to go outside of the department because we try very hard here to groom that next generation,” Buckhorn said.
Ward, from east Tampa, has 25 years on the job and served as the specialty teams commander, overseeing K-9, mounted patrol and SWAT, to name a few. He is the department's highest ranking African American officer.
Ward said three areas he’d like to focus on include community outreach programs, fight against violent crime, and training of police officers.
"I think I have a lot of fresh ideas, a lot of assets I can give back to the city," said Ward. "I'm always looking to improve that relation between community and law enforcement."
Ward will have to tackle some tough issues as chief. Gun violence has been on the rise this year, and the department has been under scrutiny because of allegations of profiling for ticketing bicyclists in minority neighborhoods.
"He wants everything done yesterday," said Alberta Ward, the chief's wife. "He believes business first and playtime comes after."
He appointed fellow candidates Mary O'Connor as new assistant chief of operations and Brian Dugan as new assistant chief of investigations and support.