Stephanie K. Bradford - The Greater Cincinnati Police Historical

Specialist Stephanie Kay Bradford PS-47 (1964-2015)
Stephanie was born on December 3, 1964 in Louisville, Kentucky to Richard B. and Linda Bradford. She
graduated from Fairfield High School in 1982 and earned a degree in Sociology at Miami University by 1986.
On November 28, 1986, at 21, Stephanie joined the Hamilton County
Sheriff’s Office as a Social Worker I and assigned to the Corrections
Division. During the summers of 1987 and 1988 she also coached the
Fairfield High School and Elks Swim Club swimming teams.
She resigned from the Sheriff’s Office to become a Police Recruit for the
Cincinnati Police Division on October 8, 1989. Police Officer Bradford
was assigned to District 2 on February 25, 1990. Over the next seven
years, she was assigned to Districts 3, 2, 4, and 5. She also
participated in the Police Olympics and won several swimming medals.
On September 28, 1997 she was promoted to Police Specialist. During
January 1998 she transferred to the District Five Investigative Unit
where she has served for 17 years; a majority of which was partnered
with Specialist Paul Meyer. Their partnership was almost legendary and
they were renowned for their string of bank robbery arrests in the late
90’s and into the 21st Century.
During 2012, Specialist Bradford was diagnosed with Appendix Cancer. She had two surgeries and two
rounds of chemotherapy by November 2012. As her condition deteriorated, she continued to work through
most of it, even working extra-duty details to provide for her family and pay off her medical bills. Along the
way, her partner, now retired, was by her side. During 2014 benefits were held to assist her and her family.
Hospitalized and no longer able to work, Specialist Bradford retired on January 12, 2015 with 28 years of law
enforcement service and twelve letters of appreciation and/or commendation – including one from a police
chief for an Aggravated Burglary investigation; one from a Patrol Bureau Commander for a Bank Robbery
arrest; another from a Patrol Bureau Commander for an arrest and solving five Aggravated Robberies; and one
from a Hamilton County Court judge who presided over an Aggravated Robbery case. She had served law
enforcement for more than half her life.
Specialist Bradford returned home under hospice care. Her partner was there again doing all that was feasible
to help her, her children, and out-of-town family. She passed away at 9:01 a.m. on January 15, 2015 at 50.
Specialist Bradford is survived by her children, Tiffany Sabrina Dowers and Joshua Shane Dowers; parents,
Richard B. Bradford and Linda Roberts; stepmother, Theresa Bradford; and siblings, Brent Bradford, Dina
Bradford-Asher, and Eric Bradford.
Visitation will be held 4 to 8 p.m. on Sunday, January 18, 2015 at the Cedars of Lebanon Chapel, 4389 Spring
Grove Avenue. FOP services will be held at 7:45 p.m. A funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. on Monday,
January 19, 2015.
Memorials may be made to the Greater Cincinnati Police Museum, 959 W. 8th Street, Suite 201, Cincinnati, OH
45203 and/or the American Cancer Society.
©2015 – All rights reserved to LT Stephen R. Kramer RET, LT Joseph W. Hall RET, PS Paul Meyer RET, and the Greater Cincinnati Police Historical Society