Bradenton’s new police chief leads department forward

BRADENTON, Fla. — The Bradenton Police Department has a new police chief.

Josh Cramer was sworn in over the summer, and since then has already made an impact on the community.

“I want to say how proud I am to be the chief of police here in Bradenton,” he said.

The new police chief brings a new kind of vision to the area, and on this day it begins with fifth-grade students.

Cramer handed out safety patrol badges to students who’ve earned them. “It really gives them a sense of duty, responsibility, and leadership,” he said.

These are qualities Cramer strives for himself.

He first started his career as a patrol officer in 1995 with the Bradenton Police Department. Cramer worked his way up, taking over as police chief in July.

“I think we all, anybody who gets into any type of first response, first responder job, wants to help people. And ultimately, that’s what led me to it. I’ve always had a respect for the law,” Cramer said.

Cramer said he is the first internal chief to be sworn in since 1995. One of his key priorities is setting goals.

“Do your job the right way and be kind. And if you can do that, use common sense,” he said.

Transparency is also valuable to Cramer.

“I will tell people how it is. They may like it. They may not like it. But I’m not going to sugarcoat things for people. We have a hard job to do,” he said.