Jane Castor

She graduated from George D. Chamberlain High School in 1977 where she was offered an athletic scholarship to play women's sports for the University of Tampa. Castor was inducted into the University of Tampa's Athletic Hall of Fame following her record-breaking performance on the women's basketball and volleyball teams.[1]

Upon graduating, Castor joined the Tampa Police Department, where she served 31 years and became the city's first female Chief of Police. In 2019, Castor was also elected the first openly gay mayor in Tampa. Castor attended Chamberlain High School in Tampa and graduated in 1977.[2][3] Castor attended the University of Tampa, where she played volleyball and basketball while earning a degree in criminology. She graduated in 1981.[4] She got her Master of Public Administration from Troy State University by attending classes at MacDill Air Force Base. She also attended the FBI National Academy.[5][6][7]

Jane Castor in 2012

Castor joined the Tampa Police Department in 1984, when she was 24.[8] She became assistant chief in 2005.[5] She was appointed as chief in 2009 and served until her retirement in 2015.[9][10][11][12][13]

In 2016 it was speculated that Castor will stand as mayoral candidate in Tampa[14]. Finally in April, 2018, she officially announced her candidacy[15]. In the 2019 Tampa mayoral election, held on March 5, 2019, Castor led all candidates, garnering 48.0% of the vote.[16] In the runoff election held on April 23, she defeated David Straz with 73% of the vote compared to Straz's 27%. She is the city's first openly lesbian mayor.[17][18] She is the eighth openly gay mayor in Florida after Richard A. Heyman of Key West, J.P. Sasser of Pahokee, Ken Keechl of Broward County, Craig Lowe of Gainesville, Dean Trantalis of Fort Lauderdale, Teri Johnston of Key West, and Justin Flippen of Wilton Manors.[19]

Biking While Black Controversy Her tenure was marked with controversy for her introduction of a program in 2012 that targeted minor infractions, many related to bicyclists. Over the program's three years duration, over 2,504 tickets were written for bicyclists, 80% of whom were black (approximately 25% of the city's population is black). The Tampa Bay Times mounted an investigation that found the program targeted "poor, black neighborhoods with an obscure subsection of a Florida statute that outlaws things most people have tried on a bike, like riding with no light or carrying a friend on the handlebars." In 2015, Castor defended the program saying "Many individuals receiving bike citations are involved in criminal activity" and that bikes were "the most common mode of transportation for criminals" because the police department had done so well at cutting down on auto thefts [20] Once the article was published and due to community demand, the City of Tampa reached out to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to request a comprehensive analysis of the Tampa Police Department’s (TPD) enforcement of bicycle laws. The analyses found that “the number of Black bicyclists stopped by the TPD greatly exceeded that of White bicyclists. Specifically, between January 1, 2014 and August 30, 2015, Tampa police officers documented 9,121 bicycle stops, 73 percent of them involving Black bicyclists and 26 percent involving White bicyclists.” The report also asserted that “given that the population of Tampa is 26 percent Black and 63 percent White, this data, when compared to the overall population of the city, confirms the existence of stark racial disparities in bicycle law enforcement.” [21] Involvement in Miami federal police monitor & recommendation to end oversight a year early In 2016, Castor was appointed by the Department of Justice to provide oversight due to the DOJ’s findings that Miami police had engaged in excessive use of deadly force. Castor was appointed to head up the oversight committee for four years, for which Castor was compensated at $150 per hour [22]. Castor fell behind on the requirements of this position early on, missing two deadlines for a report in both July and November 2016. When Castor recommended that the oversight committee end a year early in 2019, she had “submitted five reports, short of the requirement to submit a new report every four months as outlined in the agreement.” [23] When Castor made the recommendation to end oversight, Justin Pinn, chairman of Miami’s Community Advisory Board, pointed to documented misuse of body cameras as evidence that there is still a need for federal oversight and more community meetings. “I think about what we’re seeing in terms of body-worn cameras, that things are being reported that weren’t on body-worn cameras. I just don’t see how we can be in substantial compliance if these incidents keep happening.” [24] Castor’s recommendation to end the oversight came only one day after another case involving another police officer kicking at a defenseless man was thrown out of court. [25] Of note, only 3 months prior, the Miami Herald reported on footage from a body-worn camera that contradicted the use-of-force report filed by Miami officers [26]

Use of excessive force under Castor’s leadership In 2014, “Arthur Green Jr. died in police custody in 2014. Someone saw Green driving erratically and called 911. Police say he refused commands so they pulled him out of the car he was driving. Turns out he was having a diabetic emergency. "[An officer] put his knee on Mr. Green's back and neck while the other officer pushed his knees forward. This caused what's called positional asphyxiation. It's the same thing that happened to George Floyd, where your lungs are compressed. You're unable to breathe, and sadly, Mr. Green died as a result of the actions of the police department,” family attorney Paul Rebein said.There was an internal review, but there were no charges filed--and none of the officers were disciplined.” [27] Also in 2014, Tampa Police Department SWAT team killed Jason Wescott while serving a no-knock warrant based on information provided by an informant Ronnie "Bodie" Coogle. Despite assertions that Westcott was a drug dealer, the SWAT team found only 0.2 grams — approximately $2 worth — of marijuana in the house, according to public records.In interviews with the Tampa Bay Times, Castor defended the investigation of Westcott and Reyes and said the officers acted appropriately and out of fear for their lives.But several weeks after Westcott's death, Coogle told the Times that the raid was based on lies he told his police handlers, as well a drug purchase they encouraged him to fabricate [28] In 2014, Jason Turk had threatened to kill himself and his wife called 911. She told the operator her husband was threatening to kill himself, and added a crucial detail: "He knows if cops come and he won't put down the gun that they'll shoot him," she can be heard telling the operator in a recording of the 911 call. The police classified the call a "suicide by cop." In four years of mediation hearings, internal investigations and federal depositions, Turk has argued he never raised his gun or pointed it at officers that night. His lawsuit claimed that Bergman's use of excessive force violated his constitutional rights when, four minutes after he arrived, the officer fired multiple rounds through the rear driver's side window of Turk's BMW, striking him twice in the cheek and jaw. The suit also alleges that none of the officers who ultimately responded to Amanda Turk's call had undergone any crisis intervention training. On Nov. 7 2018, Castor testified that the department mandates crisis intervention training for all officers — information that U.S. District Judge Mary Scriven noted in her final order had never been offered up by the defense in previous hearings. Castor testified that it was the supervisors' duty to ensure every officer completed the crisis intervention training, which is completed on the "mobile digital terminal" computers installed in police cruisers. Previously, all officers were required to take a 40-hour, in-person course, but by 2014 the training had moved to the online model, Scriven's final order said. Castor also testified that officers were required to undergo a separate "de-escalation training" course [29]

She entered into a civil union with current Bradenton Police Department chief Melanie Jean Bevan in 2002 and they adopted 2 sons. Castor later separated from Bevan and has since resided with life partner, Ana Cruz, a Democratic political consultant and high powered state lobbyist. Castor resides in the Seminole Heights neighborhood of Tampa with her two sons, Seely and Sergei, and Cruz.

• Jane Castor profile at City of Tampa, Florida
• Appearances on C-SPAN