Bradenton Police Department
The Bradenton Police Department is the primary law enforcement agency for the City of Bradenton, Florida. The current Police Chief is Melanie Bevan, Ed.D. The Bradenton Police Department works in conjunction with the Manatee County Sheriff's Office.
History
1903-1960
The Bradenton Police Department first formed in 1903 with W.S. Young being its first police chief staying in that position until serving in World War I in 1918. Clyde Benton, a motorcycle officer that was hired in 1926 became the police chief in 1932. During his time as the chief, he notably added police radios to their patrol cars along with training its officers in criminal investigation and fingerprinting being the first police department in Florida to do so. Under his tenure the department would lose its first known officer, Steve R. Bennett in a car accident in February 1934. During World War II, the police department would be reduced to 2/3 active police officers. Benton would serve as the police chief until retiring in 1955. Mack Brick, one of the original 32 members of the Florida Highway Patrol succeeded him serving until 1960 when he retired.Post 1960
His most notable action as police chief was moving the police department to its present-day location. Mack G. Britt would be his successor also serving for five years introducing civil service tests for newly hired employees and polygraphs for interrogations. During Brit's time as chief the department lost a second officer, Patrolman Carl W. Cox after being hit by a car while riding his bicycle in Downtown Bradenton. After the departure of Chief Brit in 1971, Clyde Gill took over the department. In his five years serving in the position of chief his major would be the establishment of a SWAT Team. The police department would continue to expand adding new specialized divisions to it during the late 1970s and 1980s. Another major development occurring in the 1980s was the adoption of the department's present-day patch in 1989.Line of duty deaths
The Bradenton Police Department has lost two known officers according to the Officer Down Memorial Page.| Name | Date | Cause | Years of service |
| Patrolman Carl W. Cox | August 8, 1970 | Bicycle Accident- hit by car | 14 years |
| Policeman Steve R. Bennett | February 5, 1934 | Car Accident- Hit by other car | 10 years |