Charles McClelland

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.[5]

McClelland became a patrol officer in May 1977, and worked his way up through assignments with sex crimes units and the homicide division.[9]

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][10] 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[6] and a real-time crime analysis program, which allows for improved overall crime tracking and analysis 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.[11] Known as a meticulous investigator, McClelland was brought into one patrol division to quell racial tensions.[9]

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.[12] Mayor Annise Parker confirmed him as chief in early 2010 until his 2016 retirement when Parker's successor (Sylvester Turner) became mayor).