The city begins nationwide search for his replacement.
Plant City has begun its search for a new police chief following Police Chief James Bradford’s announcement that he has resigned, citing a desire to move out of state to be closer to family.
Bradford’s last day will be May 30.
His decision to step down from his role as Police Chief comes as a surprise to many in the community, who have grown accustomed to his leadership and commitment to public safety.
Bradford was hired in mid-November 2020 to fill the role of chief following Chief Ed Duncan’s announcement that he planned to retire at the end of 2020. More than 80 applicants for the position were submitted, and, after it was narrowed down to four, the city hosted a public meet-and-greet with each candidate. City Manager Bill McDaniel extended the offer to Bradford, who had worked for the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office for 31 years, a few days later.
“My faith in God is deep and my wife and I prayed about it and talked about it and the Lord opened up every single door for me to come here so I took the job,” said Bradford.
McDaniel said the same procedure will be followed for a new chief. In fact, he’s already hired Baker Tilly, an executive recruiter for public sector positions, to find qualified candidates to fill the position, which was posted earlier this month on several websites.
The first review of applications is scheduled to occur on Mar. 11, with city officials promising a thorough and transparent selection process.
City Manager Bill McDaniel is confident that he’ll find the right person for the job. “This community has a lot to offer so I think it’s going to be a very attractive position for candidates,” said McDaniel. “I balance an optimism with the view that I will continue the search until we find the right candidate because getting the right person in that job is more important than getting someone in that position quickly.”
Whoever the next police chief will be, he’ll have big shoes to fill. During his tenure, Bradford made several improvements to the department, which have improved officer’s work/life balance and made the workplace safer. He was instrumental in upgrading the department’s tasers and firearms, installing a new computer dispatch and report writing system, acquiring body-worn cameras, garnering city funding to renovate its indoor and outdoor firearms training ranges and adding a crime analyst position to provide support to detectives and patrol officers working investigations. His dedication to community policing has earned him widespread respect and admiration.
He’s quick to defer credit to others, though. “This was the dedication and hard work of a lot of officers and support staff that worked hard to bring those things from concept to fruition,” he said. “All I had to do was provide the vision because they did all the work.”
He considers himself truly blessed to get to know members of the community, who are so supportive of the police department, a rare commodity in many cities today.
“Whoever takes over this position is going to find a community that loves and supports its first responders, a supportive city government and a team of police officers and support staff that work hard every day to make Plant City safe,” said Bradford.
McDaniel has nothing but good things to say about Bradford’s time as police chief. “It’s been great to work with him,” said City Manager Bill McDaniel. “He’s done a good job and you can’t argue with his reasons for leaving.”
