Meet Lee Bercaw, Tampa’s new acting police chief

TAMPA — After Tampa police Chief Mary O’Connor’s sudden suspension and subsequent forced resignation on Monday, assistant chief Lee Bercaw now leads the department while Mayor Jane Castor looks for a permanent replacement.

So who is the man suddenly thrust into one of the region’s most high-profile law enforcement jobs?

Bercaw, 51, started with the department as a reserve officer in 1996 and would go on to work in all three of the department’s patrol districts. A news release from Castor issued Monday announcing O’Connor’s resignation describes Bercaw as “a key force in developing proactive crime reduction strategies that have made Tampa among the safest cities of its size in America.”

Bercaw also had a hand in managing security for large events in the city, such as the Super Bowl, Gasparilla and the Republican National Convention, which Tampa hosted in 2012.

Castor said in an interview Monday that she has directed Bercaw to “keep the department focused on the mission and continue the good work that the men and women of the Tampa Police Department are doing every day in collaboration with our residents.”

“In Lee Bercaw, we have a thoughtful and highly regarded leader in progressive policing,” Castor said in an earlier statement.

Bercaw, who is married with two grown children, is likely among the most educated among the department’s high-ranking staff. He has a doctorate in criminal justice from St. Leo University, and, from the University of South Florida, a master’s in criminal justice administration and a bachelor’s in criminology. In 2016, the USF Department of Criminology placed Bercaw on its Wall of Fame as an “Outstanding Criminology Ambassador.” He is also a board member of the Tampa Bay Area Chiefs of Police Education and Research Foundation.

Former police Chief Brian Dugan, who retired last year, promoted Bercaw to the position of assistant chief of operations in January 2020. Bercaw had been serving as Dugan’s deputy chief overseeing both operations and investigations and support.

When she took over earlier this year, O’Connor made Bercaw her assistant chief.

In an interview Monday, Dugan called Bercaw “a bright guy” whose resume with the department will serve him well as acting chief.

“He’s a quiet guy, but he’s very smart and with his experience working in so many places within the department, I think he’ll be fine until the mayor decides what she’s going to do,” Dugan said.

Bercaw described himself as “determined,” “focused” and “engaged.”

“I may be quiet, but I’m empathetic and I understand people’s needs,” he told the Tampa Bay Times on Monday.

Bercaw did not apply for the chief position after Dugan retired. So does he want to be considered as a candidate for the job this time around?

Bercaw said he hasn’t decided yet and is concentrating instead on “keeping the forward momentum of the department going.”

“Our officers are doing a great job,” he said. “We have nearly 1,400 officers and nonsworn and professional staff who are out there making a difference every day, so to continue the community engagement and crime reduction right now is my focus.”

If he does want the job, there’s the matter of residency he’d need to address.

Bercaw lives in Pasco County. The city charter requires department heads, like the police chief, to live in the city. O’Connor lives in Pinellas County and was leasing a condo in Tampa, a dual residency that has drawn a lot of attention the past few days.

If he does apply for the job and is selected, Bercaw said, he would move to Tampa.