TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa City Council voted to confirm Mary O'Connor as the new chief of police on Thursday afternoon.

Dozens of people spoke during the public comment period, both in support and against her confirmation.

Four votes were needed from city council members to confirm O'Connor as Tampa's police chief. The official vote was 4-2.

Follow along with Spectrum Bay News 9 for more on her confirmation.

What You Need To Know

  • The Tampa City Council voted to confirm Mary O'Connor as the new Chief of Police on Thursday afternoon

  • She was confirmed with a 4-2 vote

Mayor Jane Castor chose O'Connor for the post in February, citing her experience and leadership within the police department.

O'Connor's appointment had been met with some pushback as she was arrested in 1995 and charged with battery on a law enforcement officer.

To be formally appointed, O'Connor needed the majority vote. A tighter margin was required because of Councilman John Dingfelder's resignation. Previously, she would have needed four of seven votes.

The city council is also poised to pass the Tampa Tenants Bill of Rights.

That measure would provide additional protections for renters as rents continue to spike. If passed, it would force landlords to inform tenants of their rights and prohibit them from denying renters because they receive housing assistance vouchers.

That is something CaeVille Ganeous has seen firsthand.

"They're not pricing their units at a reasonable rate, which coincides with what Section 8 is allowing, so because of that, they're getting away with not accepting people who have Section 8," Ganeous said.

Ganeous said she has met the income, background, and credit requirements at a number of apartments but has been denied at the last minute because the housing vouchers do not amount to what landlords are asking for.

"I’ve been homeless. Hotels. Short-term lease. All those things are things I've been experiencing since getting approved for Section 8," Ganeous said.