The chief of police for the City of Sarasota announces her resignation from the force – this comes after the police chief received backlash over an alleged joke, she made a few months ago.
DiPino resigns as Chief of Police of Sarasota
The resignation is effective at 5 p.m. this Friday Bernadette DiPino has resigned as the Chief of Police (Source: Sarasota PD) By ABC7 Staff | January 27, 2021 at 4:17 PM EST - Updated January 28 at 3:10 AM
SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - Bernadette DiPino has resigned as chief of police for the Sarasota Police Department, effective 5 p.m. Friday.
The announcement came after a complaint was filed with the City of Sarasota over comments Chief Bernadette DiPino made about a homeless man.
The City released information on the anonymous complaint, saying that Chief DiPino made the comments at a public event where a known individual with documented mental illnesses began mocking the officers and singers at the event.
Sarasota Police Chief Bernadette DiPino resigns
Sarasota Police Chief Bernadette DiPino has announced her resignation, to take effect at 5 p.m. Friday.
City Manager Marlon Brown accepted the resignation Wednesday and executed a separation agreement on behalf of the city, according to a news release.
DiPino will receive five months’ pay, a sidearm and a badge, according to the agreement.
“I’d like to express my sincere thanks to the chief for her eight years of service to the city of Sarasota,” Brown said in the release. “Through her leadership and dedicated efforts with community policing, she helped reduce crime by nearly 40% and strengthened trust between residents and officers through extensive community outreach initiatives from the Citizens Police Academy to Coffee with a Cop and family movie nights on the SPD lawn. SPD has many initiatives ahead, including the implementation of body worn cameras, and I will immediately begin the process of appointing an int
1 month ago Share Bernadette DiPino will depart her position at the end of the week, and city administration has begun the process of selecting an interim chief.
Sarasota Police Chief Bernadette DiPino has submitted her resignation to the city and will depart her post at 5 p.m. Friday, the city announced Wednesday.
DiPino’s resignation came after the Sarasota Herald-Tribune reported earlier this month about a November incident in which the chief of police joked about using a stun gun on an individual who was homeless. In the wake of the report, both city administration and a police union leader criticized DiPino’s conduct.