
Charles McClelland was sworn in as Chief of the Houston Police Department on April 14, 2010. He has served 37 years at the Houston Police Department, joining the department as a patrol officer in 1977 and rising through the ranks to his current position as Chief of Police. His management experience has touched virtually every aspect of law enforcement throughout his career with the Houston Police Department.
His duties included managing the 5th largest police agency in the United States with an annual budget of more than $825 million dollars and a staff of 5400 sworn police officers and more than 1600 civilian employees. Chief McClelland is a proponent of community-based policing and enhanced crime reduction strategies with the use of technology. He has dedicated his entire adult life to public service and improving the quality of life in the city of Houston.
Chief McClelland holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminology and a Master of Arts degree in Sociology from the University of Houston. He is a graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigations National Academy, the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Executive Institute and has received numerous awards and commendations.
Chief McClelland was born in Center, Texas. He has two daughters, Ashley and Brittany.