He was promoted Lieutenant-Colonel in 1879 and Colonel in 1884. Having been appointed a Companion of the Order of the Star of India (CSI) in 1876, in June 1885, he was knighted as a Knight Commander of the Star of India (KCSI) for his services. In 1887, he returned to London as Secretary of the Political and Secret Department of the India Office, but the following year returned to India to conduct Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence on a tour of the country, returning to England in 1889. He was made an Aide-de-Camp to Queen Victoria (holding the post until 1893), and was offered the governorship of Cape Colony, but refused it. In June 1890, Bradford was appointed to succeed James Monro as Commissioner of Police. His immediate concern was to restore stability after the Black Monday and Bloody Sunday riots and the resignation of three Commissioners in the past two years. He was an ideal choice. His military background gave him authority and experience of command (although his personality was generally easy-going), while his experiences in India gave him knowledge of administration, criminal investigation and the workings of the civil service. His years in control of the Met were generally peaceful and stable, with the police's standing in public opinion rising steadily. In 1899, crime in London fell to its lowest point in recorded history. Bradford successfully settled the police strike of 1890, days after he took up office, and resisted the efforts of the new London County Council to take over his force from the Home Office. He visited every one of his police stations and talked and listened to his men, becoming the first Commissioner to do so. He varied the beats to ease the tedium of patrol duty and attempted to improve the educational standard of new recruits. He built more police stations and improved the quality of the section houses, ensured that all stations were linked by telegraph (although he disapproved of some other new technologies, such as telephones and typewriters, and would not introduce them), extended the use of bicycles, encouraged sporting activities among his men, and introduced a lighter summer uniform. Bradford received many honours during his time as Commissioner. He was appointed Knight Commander of the Bath (KCB) in 1890, Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB) in 1897, and Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO) in the 1902 Birthday Honours list. He became the first Commissioner to be created a baronet, announced in the 1902 Coronation Honours list published on 26 June 1902 for the (subsequently postponed) coronation of King Edward VII, and on 24 July 1902 he was created a Baronet, of South Audley Street, in the city of Westminster, in the county of London.