TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa Mayor Jane Castor is not budging when it comes to the budget for the police department. 

Despite calls from activists that make dramatic cuts to the $180-million police budget, Castor said there will be no cuts. 


What You Need To Know

  • Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said there will be no cuts to the city's police budget

  • Police budget is $180 million of the total $1.2 billion city of Tampa budget

  • Protesters have been calling for the defunding of police budgets nationwide

According to Spectrum Bay News 9's partner newspaper the Tampa Bay Times, she is sticking to previous pledges not to cut the department’s budget. Those who wanted arbitrary cuts were not in tune with Tampa residents, she said.

“There’s a vocal group that’s calling for defunding of the police when there’s not a clear understanding of what that means,” Castor said. 

Castor, who was Tampa police chief from 2009 to 2015, unveiled the city's $1.254-billion budget earlier this month.

Some protesters have called for police departments across the country to be defunded since the death of George Floyd, who died after being restrained by Mineapolis police, earlier this summer.