TAMPA, Fla. — Mary O'Connor's forced resignation means the City of Tampa will now be launching a new search for its next police chief.

Tampa Mayor Castor did promise a nationwide search the last time around but she opted to choose O'Connor, whom she knew from her time in the police department, out of three finalists. 


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Exactly how the city will go about finding its next police chief is not known. But certainly the city will be looking to get more public support behind its next chief.

O'Connor was confirmed by Tampa City Council in April, with two votes against her that was very rare for a police chief confirmation.

The police union and even the NAACP did not support her — instead, they supported Ruben Delgado who was passed over. He retired on July 1 for a private sector job.

Tampa's NAACP President Yvette Lewis says she hopes the next search will be more transparent — and more community oriented.

"What I am hoping is that they do a complete search, a real search this time without city staff influencing or having a say so, and then let the community have the opportunity to have a conversation with who they are looking for,” Lewis said.

The search for a new police chief gets underway for a second time in less than a year.

But because she was allowed to resign, according to our partners at the Tampa Bay Times, she will keep her pension through the city.

That will pay her out around $80,000 a year for her more than 20 years of service with Tampa police.