Why relieved?

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You must be talking about Assistant Chief Ruth Cate...? I'm all ears!
 
Hello, I am a reporter at Creative Loafing Tampa Bay, please feel free to send me any info, internal memos, etc. I have two of my colleagues copied on this link to send tips. Thanks for any help and info.
 
DELETED MESSAGE IN THIS STRING - VIOLATION OF TERMS OF USE

Unfortunately it didn't take long before we had our first message deleted. A member of the media respectfully reached out offering to receive additional information on the subject. The anonymous poster responded with profanity, insults, and lastly stated "We don't want you here" which could not be further from the truth.

So please allow me to clear things up. For starters, this site will NOT work WITHOUT media. We NEED them and we WANT them! It doesn't matter whether they are conservative or liberal, we benefit from them being here. The media allows what you type to be seen/heard by the general public and from there, to effect positive change in law enforcement. To prove my point, look no further than 4 stories Creative Loafing Tampa Bay has done in the past on LEO Affairs and on founders Sgt. Jim Preston and Det. Chip DeBlock:
20080827 - Cop talk
20080726 - Retired Police Officers Computer Caricatures Draw Ire
20080827 - The Photoshop cop
20080827 - The Photoshop TM Cop Extra Videos

PLEASE do NOT make representations on behalf of LEO Affairs. We are the Host of the party and you are an invited Guest as long as you abide by the rules. Thanks in advance for your cooperation!
 
Ray Roa said:
Hello, I am a reporter at Creative Loafing Tampa Bay, please feel free to send me any info, internal memos, etc. I have two of my colleagues copied on this link to send tips. Thanks for any help and info.
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I also heard they ….Just they trespassed the chiefs legal aid Tiffany Tracy at the Patrick’s day parade it was kept quite why. Look into it
 
sysop said:
DELETED MESSAGE IN THIS STRING - VIOLATION OF TERMS OF USE

Unfortunately it didn't take long before we had our first message deleted. A member of the media respectfully reached out offering to receive additional information on the subject. The anonymous poster responded with profanity, insults, and lastly stated "We don't want you here" which could not be further from the truth.

So please allow me to clear things up. For starters, this site will NOT work WITHOUT media. We NEED them and we WANT them! It doesn't matter whether they are conservative or liberal, we benefit from them being here. The media allows what you type to be seen/heard by the general public and from there, to effect positive change in law enforcement. To prove my point, look no further than 4 stories Creative Loafing Tampa Bay has done in the past on LEO Affairs and on founders Sgt. Jim Preston and Det. Chip DeBlock:
20080827 - Cop talk
20080726 - Retired Police Officers Computer Caricatures Draw Ire
20080827 - The Photoshop cop
20080827 - The Photoshop TM Cop Extra Videos

PLEASE do NOT make representations on behalf of LEO Affairs. We are the Host of the party and you are an invited Guest as long as you abide by the rules. Thanks in advance for your
Click to expand...

Oh man… I just realized what this modern iteration of leoaffairs really is. Yikes!

Bye
 
1710 said:
Oh man… I just realized what this modern iteration of leoaffairs really is. Yikes!

Bye
Click to expand...
Not sure what you meant to say or imply reference your post 1710..? Im actually kinda loving this! If youre really from old police headquarters at 1710 N Tampa Street, you should remember the old internal affairs reports we used to get. They were great and every officer reading them made it a point to not be on that list. We learned from other peoples mistakes! If this story we are just now hearing about actually happened, you know its going to eventually come out. Whether at the water cooler, in a forum or in a news story...who cares? This is the closest thing to the old IA reports and will hopefully get people thinking again before they do something stupid. I just don't like the moderating and would love to have seen what was written before it was removed. I understand we cannot have our cake and eat it too and that they want to keep this thing somewhat respectable. I get it. Kinda like that DII cop in the Burger King drive-thru on E Hillsborough Avenue in his marked unit while he was off-duty and wearing his uniform shirt so he could get free food for his entire family...he ruined it for everybody!
 

Tampa Power Cop Ruth Cate Quietly Benched on Murky Leave​

By James Rodriguez
Published on March 25, 2026
Tampa Power Cop Ruth Cate Quietly Benched on Murky Leave

Source: City of Tampa

Assistant Chief Ruth Cate, one of the Tampa Police Department’s highest-ranking commanders, has been quietly placed on administrative leave, the department confirmed Tuesday. No one at City Hall or TPD is saying why. Cate remains employed by the city while the matter is handled internally, a low-profile limbo for a veteran who has spent roughly three decades on the force.

Cate joined the department in 1996 and eventually rose to the rank of assistant chief, a rarefied tier in the command staff typically reserved for officers with long resumes and deep institutional knowledge.

As reported by WFLA, the city referred questions back to the Tampa Police Department and confirmed that one of its assistant chiefs is on administrative leave. The station also reported that attorneys who said they represented Cate attended a human-resources meeting this week. Those attorneys told the outlet the meeting lasted about two hours and that they had not received any paperwork outlining allegations or charges.

According to the City of Tampa, Cate’s career has included assignments in patrol, narcotics, sex-crimes and child-abuse investigations, and internal affairs. Her city profile also highlights her work in victim advocacy and her long-standing role on the Tampa Police Memorial Committee, positions that made her one of the department’s most senior operational leaders.

How administrative leave works in Tampa​

The City of Tampa’s personnel manual states, “An employee may be placed on Administrative Leave with Pay only upon the express determination of the Mayor,” and says that designation is expected only under “extraordinary circumstances.” The manual explains that the mayor sets the duration, up to 90 calendar days for paid administrative leave, and that Human Resources handles the payroll coding for that status, according to the City of Tampa.

In practice, a department can publicly confirm that an employee is on leave while the formal administrative designation and oversight move through the mayor’s office and HR. That appears to be the lane Cate is currently in, even if city leaders are not offering any detail about why.

Local precedent​

Top brass at Tampa Police have been benched before while city officials sorted out internal questions. In 2022, then-Chief Mary O’Connor was placed on administrative leave after body-camera footage from a golf cart traffic stop was released. She later resigned during the department’s internal review, according to WUSF.

What officials are saying​

City leaders are not exactly rushing to the microphones. Councilman Charlie Miranda told reporters he did not know Cate was on administrative leave and said 8 On Your Side was still pressing for answers and waiting to hear back, according to WFLA. The mayor’s office referred questions to the Tampa Police Department, which in turn declined to provide any details beyond confirming Cate’s personnel status.

So far, there are no publicly filed charges and no formal allegations on the record. The attorneys’ account that they have not received any paperwork suggests any inquiry is still in its early stages. Cate remains an employee of the Tampa Police Department but has been removed from active duties while the situation is addressed internally.

This is a developing story. It will be updated if the city, the department or Cate’s representatives release additional information.
 
Seems things finally caught up to her. Over her years, she got away with so many things that would have gotten others fired instantly. They always looked the other way with her until now. Doesn't look good for Lee and his administration. There has been a huge uptick of officers getting hemmed up which I also attribute to the lack of morale.
 
Cate should’ve went down when she drafted the letter to all the females with TPD . Anyone remember that letter?
 
There has to be more to this. The silence and secrecy means Castor’s minions are in a defensive posture. They are normally quick to blast someone they’ve let go.
 
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