Clarence Bradford
Encyclopedia
Clarence O'Neal Bradford, known as C.O. "Clarence" Bradford (and C.O. "Brad" Bradford during his campaign for Harris Country District Attorney), is a Houston City Council member-Elect, a former Chief of Police of Houston, Texas
and lost as the Democratic Party
candidate for District Attorney
of Harris County, Texas
in 2008.
In the 2011 election, Bradford won a second term as Houston's City Council Member.
On November 3, 2009 Bradford was elected to the Houston City Council
from At-large Position 4 and took office January 2, 2010.
and Body Shop worker
in a small town in Louisiana
before moving to Houston in 1979. Having lived in various parts of the city including, Hiram Clarke, Alief, Fondren Southwest
, and MacGregor areas.
He is currently married to Dr. Dee Jackson have two children; a son and a daughter.
, Grambling State University
and Texas Southern University
. He is also a graduate of the FBI Academy and the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government
.
During his tenure as police chief, Mr Bradford was investigated for his involvement in the problems at the Houston Crime Lab. Because of contamination of evidence at the crime lab, a number of innocent people were jailed and spent years behind bars for crimes they did not commit as reported by the Houston Chronicle. The Houston Police Officers Union later admitted that Chief Bradford was aware of the contamination at the Houston Crime Lab for 5-years and chose not to act. Over 400 cases had to be retested to confirm their accuracy, including at least one death row case.
During his tenure as Police Chief, the citizens' fear of crime and public safety concerns went from a high of 59%, constantly downward, to only 10% when he left office, as documented by Dr. Stephen Kleinberg of Rice University - however, the actual number of violent and nonviolent crimes increased above the city's growth rate of 6% a year during his tenure, as reported by the Houston Chronicle.
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
and lost as the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
candidate for District Attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
of Harris County, Texas
Harris County, Texas
As of the 2010 Census, the population of the county was 4,092,459, White Americans made up 56.6% of Harris County's population; non-Hispanic whites represented 33.0% of the population. Black Americans made up 18.9% of the population. Native Americans made up 0.7% of Harris County's population...
in 2008.
In the 2011 election, Bradford won a second term as Houston's City Council Member.
On November 3, 2009 Bradford was elected to the Houston City Council
Houston City Council
The Houston City Council is a city council for the city of Houston in the U.S. state of Texas.Currently, there are fourteen members, nine elected from council districts and five at-large. The members of the Council are elected every two years, in odd-numbered years...
from At-large Position 4 and took office January 2, 2010.
Personal
Employed as a Truck driverTruck driver
A truck driver , is a person who earns a living as the driver of a truck, usually a semi truck, box truck, or dump truck.Truck drivers provide an essential service to...
and Body Shop worker
Automobile repair shop
An automobile repair shop is a place where automobiles are repaired by auto mechanics and electricians.- Types :The automotive garage can be divided in so many category....
in a small town in Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
before moving to Houston in 1979. Having lived in various parts of the city including, Hiram Clarke, Alief, Fondren Southwest
Brays Oaks, Houston
Brays Oaks is a district in Houston, Texas, United States. The Brays Oaks Management District , also known as the Harris County Improvement District #5, governs the district. Much of the district includes the Fondren Southwest community. Other areas in the distruct include Westbury...
, and MacGregor areas.
He is currently married to Dr. Dee Jackson have two children; a son and a daughter.
Education
Bradford holds degrees from the University of Houston Law CenterUniversity of Houston Law Center
The University of Houston Law Center is a law school located in Houston, Texas. It is accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools. Founded in 1947, the Law Center is one of 12 academic colleges of the University of Houston...
, Grambling State University
Grambling State University
Grambling State University is a historically black , public, coeducational university, located in Grambling, Louisiana. The university is the home of legendary football coach Eddie Robinson and is on the Louisiana African American Heritage Trail.-Academics:Grambling State University provides over...
and Texas Southern University
Texas Southern University
Texas Southern University is a historically black university located in Houston, Texas, United States....
. He is also a graduate of the FBI Academy and the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government
John F. Kennedy School of Government
The John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University is a public policy and public administration school, and one of Harvard's graduate and professional schools...
.
Career
While Chief of Police for the Houston Police Department, Clarence Bradford held one of the longest tenures as Chief of Police. He also has the distinction of being one of only two police chiefs to be appointed by two Houston mayors. Both Mayor Bob Lanier and Mayor Lee Brown selected him as their Chief of Police. Bradford managed a department with 5,000 officers and 2,000 civilian personnel, an annual budget of $500 million, and a population of 2 million people over 600 square miles (1,554 km²). Bradford, an attorney, served 24 years with the Houston Police Department, including seven years as Police Chief.During his tenure as police chief, Mr Bradford was investigated for his involvement in the problems at the Houston Crime Lab. Because of contamination of evidence at the crime lab, a number of innocent people were jailed and spent years behind bars for crimes they did not commit as reported by the Houston Chronicle. The Houston Police Officers Union later admitted that Chief Bradford was aware of the contamination at the Houston Crime Lab for 5-years and chose not to act. Over 400 cases had to be retested to confirm their accuracy, including at least one death row case.
During his tenure as Police Chief, the citizens' fear of crime and public safety concerns went from a high of 59%, constantly downward, to only 10% when he left office, as documented by Dr. Stephen Kleinberg of Rice University - however, the actual number of violent and nonviolent crimes increased above the city's growth rate of 6% a year during his tenure, as reported by the Houston Chronicle.