1,000 signatures reached
To: City of Tampa Mayor, Jane Castor
#DumpDugan: Fire Tampa Police Chief Brian Dugan
We the community of Tampa Bay, call upon Mayor Jane Castor to release Tampa Police Chief Brian Dugan from his station as police chief and officer on account of his brutal leadership directing officers to commit acts of violence & excessive force on peaceful protestors.
Why is this important?
The Police Chief of Tampa, Brian Dugan has gone on record blatantly lying about the “less than lethal” force being used on peaceful protestors. We DEMAND that Mayor Jane Castor immediately fire Dugan for his failure to be honest with the community.
Since the murder of George Floyd, people around the world have come out in support and in solidarity with the Black lives stolem at the hands of police brutality. Tampa has been no different. Here thousands of protestors came out to peacefully demonstrate and demand justice. Pictures and videos of these peaceful demonstrations have circulated social media showing the Tampa Police Department using teargas, mace, and “less than lethal” rounds unnecessarily on protesters. Several injuries documented are located on the back regions of peaceful protestors, which corroborates first hand testimonies that police started shooting at people attempting to leave demonstrations. At a press conference on June 5th, Dugan states “tear gas and rubber bullets were not being used on protestors”. An explicit lie to the community that cannot go ignored.
Mayor Jane Castor claims that she “stands with us”, that “she hears us”, and acknowledges that “we need to make changes as a city”, but how can we trust that these changes are going to actually be implemented in the Tampa Police Department when the person she allows to be in charge of it is a liar.. The Black and marginalized community in Tampa cannot be expected to attempt to build a bridge of trust with police with its current leadership. There is no trust without transparency!
Since the murder of George Floyd, people around the world have come out in support and in solidarity with the Black lives stolem at the hands of police brutality. Tampa has been no different. Here thousands of protestors came out to peacefully demonstrate and demand justice. Pictures and videos of these peaceful demonstrations have circulated social media showing the Tampa Police Department using teargas, mace, and “less than lethal” rounds unnecessarily on protesters. Several injuries documented are located on the back regions of peaceful protestors, which corroborates first hand testimonies that police started shooting at people attempting to leave demonstrations. At a press conference on June 5th, Dugan states “tear gas and rubber bullets were not being used on protestors”. An explicit lie to the community that cannot go ignored.
Mayor Jane Castor claims that she “stands with us”, that “she hears us”, and acknowledges that “we need to make changes as a city”, but how can we trust that these changes are going to actually be implemented in the Tampa Police Department when the person she allows to be in charge of it is a liar.. The Black and marginalized community in Tampa cannot be expected to attempt to build a bridge of trust with police with its current leadership. There is no trust without transparency!
How it will be delivered
In person to the office of Jane Castor
(abiding by social distancing recommendations)