Aug 19, 2022 - News

Tampa mayor says police won't make abortion arrests

Illustration of a no-sign in the shape of a red cross over a police badge. — Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios

The women of Tampa shouldn't fear being prosecuted for having an abortion, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor assured a crowd gathered earlier this week.

"The Tampa Police Department is here to work with the community on the issues that they deem important, to keep the community safe [and] to ensure that people aren't victims of crime, not to go out and prosecute individuals for personal choices that they've made," Castor said at an event with constituents, per Creative Loafing. "So that's about as simple as it can get."

Why it matters: Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended independently-elected Hillsborough County State Attorney Andrew Warren two weeks ago for making similar pledges not to enforce state law.

What they're saying: "She is a lifelong cop dedicated to enforcing the law and improving the quality of life in Tampa, and she certainly was not trying to take a shot at the governor," Castor's spokesperson Adam Smith told Axios.

The Tampa Police Department didn't immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.

The latest: The Florida Senate halted its review of DeSantis' suspension of Warren, per Florida Politics.

Senate rules dictate suspensions be paused while any court case plays out. After Warren filed suit Wednesday, the Senate president prompted the halt.

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Tampa mayor says police won't make abortion arrests

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