The unique perspective and provocative opinions of Joe O’Neill
Tampa Bay
All things being equal, Tampa’s next police chief should come from within the department. But all things are rarely equal. As Mayor Jane Castor looks nationally, she—as a former chief—knows the critical assets that Brian Dugan’s successor must bring to the Tampa-community table. Someone with a track record of demanding accountability from officers, protecting communities and enabling an environment of transparency and racial equality. A chief who will expand community policing and promote being proactive without targeting. A chief who understands the constitutional rights of peaceful protestors and the inherent danger of overreactive, excessive force. And a chief who would be an advocate for a more effective and independent Citizens Review Board. In short, a chief who doesn’t traffic in sound bites but has the backs of the community as well as police officers. Tampa deserves no less.
According to rankings compiled by U.S. News and World Report,TGH has been rated the best hospital in the Tampa Bay region and number four in the state. (The Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville was the top overall hospital in Florida.) Hospital rankings were measured on factors such as survival rates, nurse staffing, technology, patient services, specialists and experiences.