Charles McClelland
{{short description|American police chief}}
{{about||the American political systems analyst|Charles A. McClelland|the American judge|Charles P. McClelland}}
{{Infobox police officer
|name = Charles McClelland
|image =
|caption = Charles McClelland
|birth_date =
|death_date =
|badgenumber = Chief
|birth_place = Center, Texas
|death_place =
|nickname =
|department = Houston Police Department
|service =
|serviceyears = 1977 - 2016
|rank = Sworn in as a Police Trainee - 1976
Patrol Officer - 1977
20px Assistant Chief of Police - 1998
30pxExecutive Assistant Chief of Police
40px Police Chief - 2010
|awards =
}}
Charles A. McClelland Jr. was the police chief of the Houston Police Department (HPD) from 2010 through 2016. Joining the department in May 1977, McClelland worked his way up through the ranks, from rookie to assistant chief in 1998,"[http://www.click2houston.com/news/23148413/detail.html McClelland Confirmed As HPD Chief] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100923133359/http://www.click2houston.com/news/23148413/detail.html |date=September 23, 2010 }}[http://www.click2houston.com/news/23007934/detail.html McClelland Confirmed As HPD Chief] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100401221856/http://www.click2houston.com/news/23007934/detail.html |date=April 1, 2010 }}." KPRC-TV. Wednesday April 14, 2010. Retrieved on April 26, 2010. before being asked to step in as acting chief. A graduate of the University of {{nowrap|Houston–Downtown}},[http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/news/local/100414-new-police-chief-new-airport-director-for-houston New Police Chief, New Airport Director for Houston] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120223190926/http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/news/local/100414-new-police-chief-new-airport-director-for-houston |date=February 23, 2012 }} University of {{nowrap|Houston–Clear Lake}},{{cite web |url = http://b3308-adm.uhcl.edu/egret/fall2005/alumniassociation.html |title = UHCL applauds Distinguished Alumni |publisher = University of Houston–Clear Lake |accessdate = 2010-06-29 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110720084740/http://b3308-adm.uhcl.edu/egret/fall2005/alumniassociation.html |archive-date = 2011-07-20 |url-status = dead }} and the FBI National Academy,[http://www.39online.com/news/local/kiah-new-hpd-chief-sworn-in-story,0,777685.story New HPD Chief Officially Sworn In] he oversaw the department's implementation of tasers[http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/4464516.html Two years after HPD armed itself with the stun guns, questions linger over how and how often the weapon is being used.] and a real-time crime analysis program.[http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6959519.html New HPD Chief McClelland no stranger to obstacles]
Education
McClelland holds a bachelor's degree in criminology from the University of Houston–Downtown"[http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/news/local/100414-new-police-chief-new-airport-director-for-houston New Police Chief, New Airport Director for Houston] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120223190926/http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/news/local/100414-new-police-chief-new-airport-director-for-houston |date=February 23, 2012 }}." KRIV. Wednesday April 14, 2010. Retrieved on April 26, 2010. and a master's degree in sociology from the University of Houston–Clear Lake, and a graduate from the FBI National Academy.
Career
McClelland became a patrol officer in May 1977, and worked his way up through assignments with sex crimes units and the homicide division.Pinkerton, James. "[http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6959519.html New HPD Chief McClelland no stranger to obstacles]." Houston Chronicle. April 14, 2010. Retrieved on April 26, 2010.
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."[http://www.click2houston.com/news/23007934/detail.html McClelland To Be Next HPD Chief] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100401221856/http://www.click2houston.com/news/23007934/detail.html |date=April 1, 2010 }}." KPRC-TV. March 30, 2010. Updated on March 31, 2010. Retrieved on April 26, 2010.
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 and a real-time crime analysis program, which allows for improved overall crime tracking and analysis 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.{{Cite web
| title = New Chief: New Houston Police Department Chief Officially Sworn In | work = KIAH | accessdate = 2010-05-01 | url = http://www.39online.com/news/local/kiah-new-hpd-chief-sworn-in-story,0,777685.story
}} Known as a meticulous investigator, McClelland was brought into one patrol division to quell racial tensions.
Before becoming acting police chief (after the resignation of Chief Harold Hurtt prior to Mayor Bill White leaving office in late 2009 after 3 two year terms under the City of Houston term limit ordinance), McClelland oversaw HPD's investigative operations as an executive assistant chief, which include 1,500 officers, 12 divisions and a $117 million budget.Pinkerton, James and Bradley Olson. "[http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6937864.html His dream just got bigger]." Houston Chronicle. March 31, 2010. Retrieved on April 26, 2010. Mayor Annise Parker confirmed him as chief in early 2010 until his 2016 retirement when Parker's successor (Sylvester Turner) became mayor).
References
{{Portal|Texas|Biography|United States}}
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Category:Houston Police Department chiefs
Category:People from Center, Texas
Category:African-American police officers
Category:FBI National Academy graduates
Category:University of Houston–Downtown alumni
Category:University of Houston–Clear Lake alumni