New Tampa Police Chief Eric Ward was officially sworn in Friday.

Ward, 48, was appointed to succeed Jane Castor last month by Mayor Bob Buckhorn and confirmed by the city council with a 6-0 vote Thursday.

During a ceremony at TPD headquarters, Judge Ronald Ficarrotta administered the Oath of Office.

Chief Ward's family, close friends and executive staff members attended.

On Thursday, during his confirmation, Ward agreed to provide quarterly reports on the department's ongoing bike citations controversy. TPD officials are scheduled to meet with Department of Justice officials about the issue.

A Tampa Bay Times investigation found TPD officers issued more than 2,000 bicycle citations in the past three years - more than Orlando, Miami, St. Petersburg and Jacksonville combined. And of those citations, eight out of 10 were written to black riders.

"We're excited about the (DOJ) review," Ward told the council. "And after the review is completed, we're looking forward to moving forward."