Tampa Assistant Police Chief Ruth Cate terminated and makes allegations of retaliation

Summary

• The Tampa Police Department’s deputy police chief has been terminated.

• TPD said Ruth Cate raised allegations of retaliation and retained an attorney.

• According to TPD, Cate’s allegations do not affect her decision to terminate her employment.

TAMPA, Fla. – second in command Tampa Police Department unemployed and raises allegations of retaliation.

timeline

According to TPD, on March 20, Deputy Police Chief Ruth Cate was informed in a meeting with Chief Lee Bercaw and the director of employee relations that, as an at-will employee, she would be terminated from her position for failing to meet the expectations of the role.

TPD stated that Cate was allowed to retire at her own request and use accrued annual leave and was allowed to report her retirement on Monday, March 23.

But Cate said she hired an attorney on March 23 and expressed concerns about allegations of retaliation, according to TPD. That’s when TPD said it placed Cate on administrative leave to allow HR to review her concerns; this is consistent with standard protocol.

On March 24, TPD officials said Cate met with Human Resources and filed new complaints that will be reviewed by the city of Tampa.

Additionally, on March 24, TPD terminated his employment.

According to TPD, Cate’s allegations do not affect her decision to terminate her employment.

Background

Cate has been with TPD for 29 years and was promoted to assistant chief in February 2025.

what we don’t know

It’s unclear exactly what expectations Cate is not meeting.

what do they say

“The Tampa Police Department remains committed to fairness, professionalism and equal treatment of all employees,” said Chief Lee Bercaw. “We will continue to uphold the highest standards of accountability and service to the department and the community. The department is staffed with strong, qualified, and well-trained leaders who will ensure a smooth transition while remaining fully committed to our mission of keeping our community safe.”

Source

This article was written with information taken from the Tampa Police Department press release.