June 25, 2020
By: Staff Report
TAMPA Fla.- A new petition has surfaced on Change.org, calling on Tampa’s Mayor Jane Castor to resign.
The petition organizer, Chris Ingram said, “Mayor Castor has proven herself to be inept and incompetent to serve and do the right thing.”
Ingram added, “She has lost the confidence of Democrats, Republicans, business owners, soccer moms, the police, and anyone except for the looters and thugs she has pandered to, by not enforcing the law or even the concept of the rule of law.”
Tampa has seen its share of protests in the past few weeks, and mostly peaceful protests, however civil unrest in the way of destruction of businesses, looting, and injuries to some protesters and police.
Calls from protesters to “Dump Dugan”, referring to Tampa Police Chief Brian Dugan have echoed in recent days, with a petition that was circulated and a themed protest in Hyde Park for this demand.
On June 19th, Mayor Castor made an announcement on the “next steps on policing,” in Tampa.
Castor said, “The Tampa Police Department will adapt, as community standards and expectations change. I believe good can come from these difficult times that we are in right now.”.
Castor announced three initiatives:
- How officer-involved shootings are investigated. Florida Department of Law Enforcement will investigate all officer-involved shootings effective immediately.
- Require officers to intervene if they witness an officer using excessive force and also include the language so that it is clear that the carotid restraint is not authorized.
- The announcement of a Mayor’s task force to create an opportunity for open two-way communication between officers and community members. The task force will have approximately 40 members from throughout the community and the police department including but not limited to grassroots organizations, community, leaders, business owners, neighborhood association members, and the police department.
But some residents of Tampa believe that these initiatives weren’t supportive of the rule of law and that sides were taken in regard to the police and protestor clashes.
“We call on the mayor to resign, so more effective leadership can restore order and normalcy to our once great city,” said Ingram.
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