While the nation is in heated discussions about the poor state of police relations with Black communities, at least one bit of history within the Houston police department has come full circle. Monday, the City of Houston formerly renamed Houston Police Department headquarters after the city’s first African-American, and longest serving, officer, Edward Thomas. Hired onto the force in 1948, after the war, Officer Thomas was often treated as a second class citizen by his peers in HPD. And yet he prevailed and mentored other officers through the decades and became a role model for leaders like current police chief Charles McClelland.
(Video: KPRC 2 News)
MORE ON OFFICER THOMAS:
- Ceremony held for renaming of HPD headquarters in honor of retired officer (KPRC 2 News)
- HPD to name headquarters after ‘Mr. Thomas‘ (Houston Chronicle)
- The untold story of HPD’s first black officer (KHOU 11 News)
- After long, honored police career, Houston’s ‘Mr. Thomas’ set to receive greatest tribute (Houston Chronicle)
