Charles McClelland
Houston Police Department
Badge number	Chief
Place of birth	Center, Texas
Years of service	1977 - Present
Rank	Sworn in as a Police Trainee - 1976 Patrol Officer - 1977 Assistant Chief of Police - 1998 Executive Assistant Chief of Police Police Chief - 2010

Charles A. McClelland, Jr. is the current police chief of the Houston Police Department (HPD). Joining the department in May 1977, McClelland worked his way up through the ranks, from rookie to assistant chief in 1998,^[1][2] before being asked to step in as acting chief. A graduate of the University of Houston–Downtown,^[3] University of Houston–Clear Lake,^[4] and the FBI National Academy,^[5] he oversaw the department's implementation of tasers^[6] and a real-time crime analysis program.^[7]

Education[link]

McClelland holds a bachelor's degree in criminology from the University of Houston–Downtown^[8] and a master's degree in sociology from the University of Houston–Clear Lake,^[4] and a graduate from the FBI National Academy.^[9]

Career[link]

McClelland became a patrol officer in May 1977, and worked his way up through assignments with sex crimes units and the homicide division.^[10]

When racial tensions at the city's Northeast Patrol Division boiled over in 1992, McClelland and Capt. Mike Thaler were brought in to remedy discrimination complaints by black patrolmen.^[1][11] As an assistant chief, he has been at the center of some of HPD's most controversial incidents of recent years, one being the approval of the August 2002 raid on a Kmart parking lot where nearly 300 bystanders were arrested during a crackdown on street racing. McClelland later testified he never saw a subsequent memo authorizing the arrests of spectators as well as racers. He also oversaw the department's implementation of tasers^[12] and a real-time crime analysis program, which allows for improved overall crime tracking and analysis 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.^[13] Known as a meticulous investigator, McClelland was brought into one patrol division to quell racial tensions.^[14]

Before becoming acting police chief, McClelland oversaw HPD's investigative operations as an executive assistant chief, which include 1,500 officers, 12 divisions and a $117 million budget.^[15]

References[link]

	Houston portal
	Biography portal
	African American portal
	Law enforcement portal

Chad Holley was an Elsik High School sophomore at the time of his arrest in 2010 as an alleged burglary suspect, which was preceded by, what some say,^[1] was an abuse by the Houston Police Department (HPD). He was eventually found guilty and sentenced to probation until he turned 18.^[2]

A surveillance video later aired by KTRK ^[3] that was leaked by an employee of a storage lot adjacent to the location of the beating after a short police chase.^[4]

Disciplinary actions[link]

After an investigation, 12 officers were disciplined, 7 were fired, and 4 were charged. All appealed the decisions.^[5] Officer Andrew Blomberg, the first of four officers to go on trial, has been acquitted of charges of "Official Oppression"^[6]

New Oversight[link]

Mayor Parker says she'll be creating a new 20 member, independent police oversight board. There will also be a separate public safety advisory committee. The Office of Inspector General will act as confidential ombudsman for citizen complaints. The Mayor says she will make an executive order, but the Houston Police Officer's Union says that step shouldn't be necessary as it would create an additional bureaucracy.^[7]

Civilians documenting police[link]

Houston Police Chief Charles McClelland has said there has been an increase of people recording or taking pictures of police while making stops and is concerned that an intensifying anti-police sentiment in the community could increase negative interactions with residents.^[8]

References[link]

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