Tampa police chief would ‘retire’ — and still earn a $241,000 salary as chief

Tampa’s police chief is set to retire in about six months, but the mayor doesn’t plan on letting him go.The city has drafted an agreement that would allow Lee Bercaw, a 28-year veteran with the force, to immediately be hired back by the city as a contractor to continue serving as chief after he retires in September.The maneuver would allow him to cash in on an annual pension payment worth at least $96,000 while continuing to collect one of the largest paychecks in city government. The proposal, which includes a double-digit pay raise, is set to go before the Tampa City Council later this week.He would earn a $241,000 salary per year plus benefits such as annual leave, health insurance and sick pay. He also would be entitled to pay bumps associated with annual performance reviews and for cost-of living increases applicable to other city management employees.Bercaw would continue to helm the city’s department of roughly 1,000 sworn officers for at least another three years.The agreement was approved Thursday by Mayor Jane Castor, records reviewed by the Tampa Bay Times show. Castor herself is a former Tampa police chief who has known Bercaw for decades.In a statement to the Times on Monday, Castor said she stands “firmly in support” of Bercaw remaining in his role as his retirement date approaches to “maintain the department’s strong momentum and stability.”Castor earns about $180,000 as mayor while also receiving a police pension worth more than $118,000 a year, records show.Bercaw became interim chief in December 2022 following the departure of Mary O’Connor, who resigned at the mayor’s request after just 10 months on the job.An internal investigation found O’Connor violated department policies by flashing her badge during a traffic stop while riding in a golf cart in Pinellas, asking a deputy to let her and her husband go. The incident made national headlines.The Tampa City Council unanimously voted to make Bercaw the permanent chief last June, praising him for bringing stability to the department and garnering support from the community and rank-and-file officers alike. The city had seen four chiefs in three years, and opted for Bercaw instead of conducting a national search.When the “interim” was dropped from his chief title, his salary was bumped to $198,702. He currently earns $204,672, according to the city’s human resources department.Under the proposed agreement, his salary would be boosted another $36,328 — more than a 17% raise.When they selected Bercaw as chief, both city staff and the City Council knew that Bercaw was enrolled in the Deferred Retirement Option Program. Commonly known as DROP, the program allows employees to divert pension payments before they retire toward a lump-sum payment they get when they leave.When Bercaw enrolled in 2019 he picked his retirement date as Sept. 22, 2024, records show.When the mayor recommended him as chief, there was an understanding that he’d either be a “short timer” or that the city would have to reach an agreement that let him retire and then collect a contractor salary, city spokesperson Adam Smith said.Now, the city “wishes to continue to utilize the valuable services of Lee Bercaw,” according to a resolution submitted to the City Council for review at their Thursday meeting. The item appears on the council’s consent agenda, which is intended for decisions that are not considered controversial. Under the proposed agreement, the city would not keep contributing to his pension.Last summer, the council granted Bercaw, who lives in Pasco County, a one-year waiver from a city rule requiring department leaders to live within city limits. Bercaw will move into the city this year, Smith said.Bercaw started with the department as a reserve officer in 1996 and went on to work in all three of the department’s patrol districts. He has a doctorate in criminal justice from Saint Leo University and a master’s in criminal justice administration and a bachelor’s in criminology, both from the University of South Florida.In the wake of George Floyd’s murder by Minneapolis police officers, Bercaw was instrumental in organizing and facilitating Castor’s new Task Force on Community Policing. After his appointment as interim chief, he went from a mostly behind-the-scenes assistant chief to the new face of a department rocked by the departure of a predecessor whose tenure began and ended amid controversy. He previously told the Times that landing in the chief’s chair was never a goal of his, but that he aspired to a position where he could “help the department be better.”During his brief tenure, Bercaw has overseen a greater emphasis on community policing, including the launch of Town Hall Tuesdays, a series of panel discussions with officers in neighborhoods across the city.The proposed three-year agreement for Bercaw would begin on Sept. 23, the day after his scheduled retirement. Thereafter, unless terminated, the agreement would automatically renew for successive terms of one year for a maximum of four additional years.

Tampa police chief would ‘retire’ — and still earn a $241,000 salary as chief

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