Jane Castor is the driving force behind the department’s 50% reduction in crime in the last six years. She helped develop and execute the department’s Focus on Four Crime Reduction Plan that changed the way officers police in the City of Tampa. The innovative plan required officers to shed the age-old mentality of just responding to 911 calls and replaced it with a proactive mentality to solving and preventing crimes. The result is a safer city.  

Chief Castor was elected president of her police academy class and has continued her leadership role throughout her career. She moved quickly through the ranks and has served in nearly every capacity within the Department from Patrol, Narcotics, Family Violence and Sex Crimes to Criminal Intelligence, the Field Training Program and Administration. During her 25-years of service, she has acted as an outstanding role model for female officers throughout the agency.

Jane Castor has led the Department of Homeland Security’s Tampa Bay Urban Area Security Initiative, (UASI) since 2003. In that role, Chief Castor became a pioneer in homeland security trends in local law enforcement. She developed the UASI program from its infancy stages to managing the 56 million-dollar budget. Under Chief Castor’s leadership, the program has made the Tampa Bay area less vulnerable to a terrorist attack and better equipped to respond to a natural disaster. Through her work with UASI, Chief Castor secured the federal grant to implement the Tampa Police Department’s new, state of the art radio system. She served on the selection committee and oversaw the installation of the new system that improves officer safety.

Her dedication to the community reaches far beyond her role within the Tampa Police Department. She serves on the board of the Hillsborough House of Hope. She is a Big Sister through Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Tampa Bay, an active volunteer with Paint Your Heart Out, Adopt a Family and the Hillsborough River Clean Up and has worked closely with the Boys and Girls Club. She is also a graduate from Leadership Tampa.

Chief Castor earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Criminology from University of Tampa where she attended on volleyball and basketball scholarships. She has been inducted into the University’s Athletic Hall of Fame. She holds a Master’s of Public Administration from Troy State University. She is also a graduate of the prestigious FBI National Academy. This year, Chief Castor was named Law Enforcement Executive of the Year by the National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives.