Assistant Chief Ruth Cate has been employed with the Tampa Police Department since 1996. She currently serves as the Assistant Chief of Operations.
During her career, Assistant Chief Cate has worked a variety of assignments, including time as a patrol officer in Districts One and Three, a School Resource Officer, and QUAD Officer in the Tactical Division. In June 2003, she was promoted to the rank of detective and assigned to the Narcotics Bureau where she sat 2nd chair in two federal jury trials. Her investigations led to the largest cocaine seizure to date by a female Tampa Police detective. As a detective, she also served on the Sex Crimes/Child Abuse squad and in the Internal Affairs Bureau.
In September 2012 she was promoted to the rank sergeant, her assignments included patrol sergeant in District One and the Sex Crimes/Child Abuse sergeant in the Major Crimes Bureau. As the sex crimes sergeant, she was instrumental in implementing the first ICAC (Internet Crimes Against Children) task force at the Tampa Police Department and she also co-authored an agreement between the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay and the Tampa Police Department, which mandated a Victim's Advocate be permanently assigned to the Tampa Police Department. In June 2015 she was promoted to the rank of lieutenant where she served as the shift commander in Districts One and Two.
In the past, Assistant Chief Cate was a DEFY mentor and a member of the Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) team. She has been an active member of Tampa Police Memorial Committee since 1999, where she served as the President and was the Scholarship Chairperson for 10 years, overseeing the distribution of more than $100,000 in scholarships to the children of Tampa Police Department employees. Assistant Chief Cate is concurrently assigned as the incident commander for the Amalie Arena and successfully planned and staffed law enforcement operations for two back-to-back Stanley Cup Championships.
Assistant Chief Cate is the highest-ranking Asian American Officer to ever serve the Tampa Police Department. She has a bachelor’s degree in Criminology from Florida State University.