TAMPA, Fla. — The City of Tampa has released new documents related to the firing of Assistant Police Chief Ruth Cate last month.
Tampa Bay 28 reporter Adam Walser had previously reported Cate, the highest-ranking Asian female to serve as assistant chief, was notified on March 20 she was being terminated for failing to meet the expectations of her role as an “at will” employee.
Cate originally requested to retire but returned to work on March 23 and announced that she would not retire.
At that point, she was terminated by the city.
On March 24, Cate filed a complaint with the City of Tampa Human Resources Department.
“I am submitting this formal complaint to report discrimination based on age, sex, and race, and retaliation related to my assistance and support of a subordinate female sergeant during events surrounding the 2026 shift bid process. I am requesting that Human Resources conduct a formal investigation into the matters described below and take appropriate corrective action,” Cate wrote in a document released Tuesday.
Cate added, “I have served honorably with the Tampa Police Department for approximately 29½ years. I am 54 years old and the highest‑ranking Asian female to have served the department. Throughout my career, I advanced through the ranks based on performance and experience, including nearly ten years as a detective in narcotics, sex crimes, and internal affairs. My performance evaluations have consistently been positive. I have been entrusted with sensitive information and significant operational responsibilities, and I have not been advised at any time that my performance was unacceptable or deficient.”
That complaint triggered an investigation by Tampa’s Human Resources Department.
A summary of that investigation was released on April 27.
It indicated Employee Relations Manager Rebecca Carr conducted the investigation over a month-long period, interviewing Police Chief Lee Bercaw, Assistant Chief Brett Owen and three other Tampa Police Department Employees.
The investigative file also included a memo from Chief Bercaw.
“Ruth Cate’s claims are not supported by the facts,” Bercaw wrote. “The decision to move in a different direction with Ruth Cate was based on a pattern of behavior that demonstrated a lack of leadership, performance, judgement, communication and a loss of confidence in alignment at the executive level--- not on age, sex, rage or any protected activity.”
The city released a seven-page investigative summary on Tuesday, which described Cate’s allegations as “unsubstantiated”.
Tampa Bay 28 I-Team reporter Adam Walser is digging into the specific allegations in the memos and report and will have more information in a follow-up report on Wednesday
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Adam Walser has spent more than a decade fighting for what’s right in Tampa Bay as part of the I-Team. He’s helped expose flaws in Florida’s eldercare system and held leaders accountable for questionable HOA practices. Reach out to Adam with any issue you think he needs to investigate.
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