The Chief wasn't the driver of the cart. She should have just sat there and let the driver get what he was going to get.

At least she had the decency to resign. She showed poor judgement and a lack of integrity. A Chief with those faults has no place atop a police agency of any size. This Sheriff has the absolute right of it. Most traffic stops result in warnings because the stop is mostly about correcting behavior not punishment of behavior. The deputy did nothing wrong. The Chief did and he spells out her failings.

It's not about getting a break, it's the fact she used her position to gain favor

Yeah right. She handed him a business card and said if there was anything that he needed unbelievable

We investigated ourselves and found no wrong doing..............

The problem is she asked for and received special treatment.

This Sheriff deputy gave the Tampa Police Chief special treatment and when it comes to Joe Public, they do not get special treatment but will be fined or arrested. How can the Pinellas Sheriff say that his deputy did nothing wrong, when his deputy body cam clearly shows shows that he did not do his job. The Tampa police resigned after an internal investigation, but the Pinellas deputy will allows a prominent public figure to go free. No way Sheriff, this deputy is the part of this scandal and the right thing you should have done, was to fire that deputy. It is clear that the Pinellas Sheriff covers for his deputies despite clear video footage is screaming the obvious facts.

how about charging the corrupt sheriff....he is 100% a criminal and corrupt

Deputy Jacobi let a cop off the hook . As usual we investigated ourselves and found nothing wrong . The least he should have done is report it immediately to internal affairs .

The deputy did do something wrong too. If the sheriffs department is not giving tickets to every person they pull over that broke the law, because you can only pull someone over if they’re breaking the law, then the deputies are just as negligible at upholding the law as the police chief was. The sheriff is wrong, stating “it’s a golf cart, who cares”. If no one cares, then why pull them over? If no one cares, does that mean anyone can just drive the golf cart on public roads? What a hypocrite sheriff

What if she had drugs in her, why didn't she get searched? Why didn't they run a dog around the golf cart lol or do a sobriety test on the driver? Most cops are looking and searching for a reason to arrest citizens...

Speaking power to truth! Thanks for the blunt honesty, double fund the police, my nose is clear, I picked it, I can breathe!

How silly to pull over a golf cart

So why even stop them?

For the chief to ask for a "break" was dead wrong. For the deputy to not issue a citation was a judgment call. If it can be shown that he has cited every other golf cart driver for the same violation, you can say he demonstrated preferred treatment to the chief by not citing the driver, her hubby (also a retired asst chief). If the deputy wanted to issue a warning for a violation that isn't worth issuing its his option. No need to jeopardize a career over something so simple. Stupidity is no reason to end a career. And if they did get a citation, simply pay the damn thing and get on w life. I'm certain they could afford the fine.

Guessing on his counts that many of the stops were multiple tickets to the same person. So that is an even lower percentage.

The stats he's quoting show they're making way too many traffic stops.

“Rules for thee, but not for me”.!!! Plain & simple!!!

For reall are we kidding? She fired for a name drop. They better keep that same energy for everyone else.

Tampa Mayor Jane Caster new statement should read: Former TPC Mary O'Connor is now standing out in disgrace across our nation.

We live way out in a Rural area here in Texas with very little Traffic most of the time. My Youngest Son has been stopped for Speeding (and I do mean SPEEEEEDING, LOL) more times than I can Count and he's only been cited one time, he was let off with a warning the rest of those times. I, on the other hand, have been stopped in the past for speeding (5-10 miles over the 70 mph speed limit ) probably 4 or 5 times in my 50 years of driving and I've been ticketed for every single one. When People ask if I was Mad about being given a ticket, I told them "No, The Officer was doing the Job he was hired to do". And as far as being "given" a ticket....I told them I wasn't "Given" anything....I EARNED each and every one of them, LOL! 🤣🤣

my step-grandfather was a retired captain on the vernon police dept. it's in southern calif. near LA. He drove his car like a bat out of hell all the time, from light to light, ok and he drank so he's semi drunk and he would get pull over, the officer would ask for his license and he would take out his bill fold and flip it open and his badge, that said retired on it, would be visible, big time ok . the officer would ask if he had been a cop and he would tell them yes, they would let him go with a warning to just slow it down. it's a club just like the elks lodge, masonic temple, whatever. it ain't ever going to change ok, ever. that's what she was hoping for, probably was drinking and wasn't thinking clearly when she ask if his camera was on and still blabs her mouth to let them go ok. there are more dishonest cops out there than honest ones ok and that will never change. people with power abuse that power every day in this country. that's why she resigned before she was fired to keep her benefits and they all want this to go away cause it shines light on the entire police departments around the country. like cockroaches in the night.

Get your boots on it starts with the bullshit being pretty deep

91k traffic stops only 16k get tickets? Why are you harassing 75k people for no apparent reason? Don't say these were only warnings.....

"She was running her mouth." "She should have kept her mouth shut." = He's so unrefined. His unrefined manner of speaking is typical of most people in this country.

Fire the cop that let her walk.

The last 75 years no police chief has ever gotten a ticket from my Trooper

They obviously made her resign and it’s overboard because she barely did anything wrong… people must have been waiting on her to slip for other reasons

is this the same Florida where cop shoots a crackhead carrying a bb gun and kills partner?

Officer discretion. Plain and simple.

She could've been more subtle with it. After she handed her license and registration I'm sure the cop would've ran the info and find out who she was. Then he would've let her go

The deputy DID cut her a break. His shock in his voice when he hears who she is was followed by a hello how are you attitude she was not given when he approached initially. You have no way of proving he didn't cut her a break and all the actions suggest he did. He should have wrote the citation because she is an officer of the law.

Laws are laws. Not meant to be broken. The whole situation did not look good. Make excuses you want too but it still is breaking the law.

She needed not to ask, " Could I? " but, " Should I? "

"We only ticket 20% of the Folks we pull over" Begs the question, then why were the other 80% pulled over.

I'm willing to bet he was drinking and driving and got a pass, why use a golf cart?

Every cop that ever lived flashed the badge when getting pulled over. Not saying it is right but they were on a golf cart folks.

2022 & they have still not figured out that we cannot hear the questions coming from the reporters. So half the time they answers a question we have no idea what they are talking about when they answer. The other half of the time we end up having to guess what they are talking about. You would think at least one news station would figure this out by now.

…it’s almost becoming a guarantee that any time you hear “he (or she) did nothing wrong!” it’s literally because he (or she) did something wrong. That was a horrible look. Your officer was clearly intimidated, but you’re acting as if there’s no higher standard for LAW ENFORCEMENT in a country where the Constitution has an entire amendment devoted to equal protection under THE LAW.

I heard him say ~ she was only ___ yards from her house. Something like this - But we do Not know if they were about to stop riding in their golf cart or they were going further for an evening drive.

The police in FLA are bred differently. Must be the water.

It was an unlicensed golf cart, against the law. The officer was in the wrong. The male (presumably the husband) was in the wrong, she had nothing to do with the stop, should have kept her mouth shut. The male(husband/boyfriend) looked like he may have been drinking, did the officer smell alcohol on his breath?

This dude making excuses. They would have treated all of us differently. It's a DUI. Any of us woulda been put in jail.

I disagreed with the sheriff. To say that the deputy did nothing wrong is a flat out lie. She asked for special treatment and she got it. It’s right there on the camera. The public needs to start pushing harder for the deputy to be punished or fired. If there’s a big enough outcry something will be done

Even fewer times that you get pulled over and told you were driving extremely well. 😂

I have a feeling the numbers being listed for traffic stops and citations do not include arrests. Could we get confirmation as to whether or not that is the case?

I actually felt bad for the officer, watching the video because she put him in a bad position!🤷‍♂️🙄

Bet he punishes the cop that pulled her over

For him to even have the stand up there and make a case for the deputy? smells fishy.

Then why did he stop them if it wasn't an issue???

I don't doubt the numbers & statistics cited. I'm sure the deputy would have let an affluent couple living in a gated community off with a warning even if she didn't produce her badge. I'd love to see how those citation statistics match up across income divides or along racial lines.

I take exception to his statement about tickets. driving for 50+ years I only remember 3 times being stopped and not getting a ticket. the first was a DWI checkpoint. the second was for my tag light out. the cop lied about that and the third was for the back of my car riding low, I had my tool chest with tools in the trunk. all three times they did not have probable cause.

I worked for an absolute 💩 chief of police who created such a hostile and toxic work environment that I left after 19 years on the job to go work for a different agency for less money. He’s currently under internal investigation for sexual harassment and creating that hostile work environment. He did not resign and is trying to fight it. There are narcissists and abusive people in all professions but in my experience the military and policing professions seem to elevate them to leadership positions disproportionately to other career fields.

Driving a golf cart on a Florida road is illegal.

He did Tampa a favor. Now maybe he could work on Mayor Castor.

Another incompetent 👮‍♂️cop!!

My son received in Gulfbreeze Florida $640 worth of non-moving violations along with being searched on the side of the road ..five police vehicles. I wonder how it is that every time he’s pulled over there’s reasonable suspicion to search his vehicle yet they have never turned up any contraband whatsoever… I’ve personally been in the vehicle twice when being pulled over for nothing searched, and then given a warning ticket of 5 mph over the speed limit.. he was just stopped and searched the other day and given $110 ticket for an expired license that was expired literally 48 hours. He was at the tag office the two days after his birth month, handed the expired license to the county employee received his fishing license, hunting license, vehicle registration, boat vessel, registration, and trailer registration. The county employee did not notify him. He was holding in his hand an expired license when we went back and spoke to the manager to try to get receipts of how many times he has replaced his license, which was approximately six times in five years the latest about six months ago… we were informed that it was their “policy”not to inform people of an expired license??? I asked him if he would print out the policy because we were taking this to court. He said “good luck with that“ I said, well, will you provide us your policy so we can present it as evidence he said “no, but have the judge call me when you’re in court” .. this state is about salvaging peoples rights and stealing their money just like every other state, just as this sheriff is basically describing their money, seizing campaign against the citizens, they supposedly are there to serve and protect.. serve tickets and protect each other..

Cop covering cop

The sheriff said she would not have gotten a ticket for what she did, period. He said nobody would get a ticket for driving a golf cart 100 yards without a tag. It is the fact that she asked for a favor because she was chief of police. She is not to be using her position for favors. My question is: if she was police chief, why didn't she know that she wouldn't have been ticketed for what they did?? She should've known that, as a police officer herself, and known to sit there and shut her mouth.

"we just try to educate"... yes, that's the right way to do it

At least they didn't use golfcart to ram a gun store,whoever pulled over golf cart should be proud to have stopped a DANGEROUS criminal

Officer should have asked for ID of the driver.

Well said

even if this "less than 20%" figure is right, one has to then wonder "who" get the tickets as a "brown" person i have been pulled over time after time, and i seriously doubt i have been "educated" more than twice, the rest i have been ticked (and in some case, i was NOT doing anything wrong, they just made up the traffic violation. as if i would run a red light in DC at 11pm whilte the cruiser is behind me, and more cases)

I do agree with what another person wrote - the woman should not have asked to be let go AND added if the officer needs anything to come see her - that was offering a bribe

How does a news channel, in the 21st century, not have stereo microphones?

Never trust someone who lies so freely

Guy driving the golf cart was drunk. Officer needs to grow a pair and write the ticket!

I like this guy - he's got the stats!

I find it interesting he got all these stats on normal stops but how many tickets have you issued to people operating golf carts?

I respect you Sheriff but saying the Deputy handled it 100% like he would any other stop is just plain wrong. No officer would let a regular citizen go just because their spouse requested they do. They deputies, at least would run the their names. Your deputy did none of that. Didn't even ask the drivers name.

Sadly she resigned before they could fire her. Which based on an article from a local paper, she was arrested in 1995 for battery against a police officer while her then boyfriend now husband also a Tampa officer was being arrested for DWI. Both were given a second chance... he made assistant chief and retired in 19, she pushed on and became chief, "against all odds" according to her. No, silver platter.

To claim most stops don't result in tickets is ridiculous. I've never received a warning in 40 years driving

That deputy let her go and thanked her for her service the instant he found out she was a chief. The golf cart was a big problem up until he found that out. It’s obvious but this chief is of course defending his deputy.

The mere act of driving the cart, even if while obeying all traffic laws, was the infraction. The golf cart was not road worthy. He should not have let them go on their way. It was a mandatory impound. The deputy absolutely did do O'Connor a favor by letting them resume driving. That was intentionally allowing them to resume committing the infraction.

She should not have been fired for such a menial grievance.

they are all completely full of it.

Monday morning quarterbacking. Easy to say you wouldn't, unitil you actually do.

oh I thought the battery on my right earpiece ran out

Every single LEO acknowledges they are law enforcement at every single interaction with other LEOs. Why should this woman have resigned?

Most of us think when we are stop by a cop we are going to end up DOA.,and that's why we run and still ended DOA

Gualtieri--"We investigated ourselves and found No wrongdoing!". Next year, "Every dept has a few Bad Apples". 3 years later, "The FBI & this Consent Decree is waaay out of line. We've been addressing these problems IF we find them."

Golf carts only need plates if they go faster than 20mph. Don’t know why she was hassled in the first place.

listen to this cop lying .. I got a ticket for the light over the rear license plate was out !! Liar

Ty to the sheriff for those traffic stop stats !!!! While I don't totally agree with his take on his officer , I understand his rationale!!!

Even if she mentioned she was the police chief when he was taking their IDs, that would have been fine. It's the suggestive way she said Im hoping you will just let us go is where she messed up. Nothing wrong with letting the officer know you are a cop too, but asking for a favor and offering one in return if he needs it is just gross.

That’s what happens when someone loses themselves to their position and power. Professional courtesy should be illegal.

She was drunk or had some drinks. She wasnt actually even involved. Shouldve kept her mouth shut.

Well......Just watched the video and CLEARLY the Deputy DID treat her differently. No warning, no lecture, no delay. He should have at least told her "you know that you need lights and a tag on the golf cart." She would not have gotten a ticket, but he CLEARLY acted like he was star struck.

she showed her character with such a petty offense that resigning was a good idea.

to jail for a kid riding anything in the street...

Why did he stop them to begin with? It's ridiculous.

The cop that pulled them over should be fired as well for 1. releasing the video that screws over a fellow LE over something so minuscule 2) accepting bribes.

He’s right. But good luck trying to shut her up. She likes to hear herself.

what about the corrupt cop who let her go /

I can't believe Tampa police gave time to chase golf carts.

They all do it. Ask for special treatment. I don''t know why all of the hoopla. This country has much bigger crime issues and problems they should be dealing with other than a traffic ticket in a darn golf cart for goodness sake!

It’s a golf cart, not a dangerous felon.

It’s great and necessary that these questions be asked. We, as a society must hold our elected officials and those in positions of power and influence accountable to the highest standards. It is the media’s job to help us do just that! We must have transparent accountability!!!! In this case the question was answered. My only problem with the response was his expression of reluctance to answer because he should expect to be held accountable and should embrace these opportunities to educate the public of the truth of what happened and why. This is one of the most important parts of this man’s job and he apparently takes offense to that. He needs to fix that attitude and get his mind right on his responsibilities in this area!!!!! That being said……he answered the question perfectly and I fully agree with his support of his deputy, the actions taken, and the reasons why. I like his approach to law enforcement, focusing on education over minor offenses and being more strict with major offenses. It sounds like a culture of supporting their community, which I love! I also agree with his assessment of the overall situation of this interaction. The Tampa chief overstepped and exposed her corrupt nature. She needs to be removed from office!!! However, others involved should be judged independently of her actions and solely on their own. Like I said, I loved his reply and explanation and I agree with his reasoning and rationale. Great job all around! However, he does need to adjust his attitude toward the press and his responsibility to be held accountable to his community which the media facilitates. He handled this well, but it would have been much better and would have provided for a greater level of trust in him and his department had he not been reluctant to answer. That alone feeds the seeds of mistrust with law enforcement and public officials. He needs to square up to his role and responsibilities in this area!!!!! But, that can be fixed if he puts his mind to it…..I hope he does because everything else I heard him say I loved!!!!!

Spot on!