The Upland Police Department has six ranks for sworn peace officers. New peace officers are only hired at the officer level. All other ranks are filled by internal promotions. In order to promote to the other positions an officer must hold the rank immediately below it as well as meet other educational and service requirements. Promotions are made by the Chief of Police in accordance with a competitive testing procedure administered by the Human Resources department. In descending order of seniority they are:

• Chief of Police
• Captain
• Lieutenant
• Sergeant
• Detective
• Officer

The duties of each position are as follows:

Chief of Police:

Uniform Insignia: Four silver stars worn on the shirt collar

The Chief of Police is the highest authority within the department. He is responsible for the overall management of the police department to insure conformity to the highest standards. The Chief of Police develops and implements administrative policies, coordinates all department functions, prepares the annual budget and makes presentations to the City Council. The Chief of Police reports to the City Manager and, ultimately to the City Council.

Captain:

Uniform Insignia: Two silver bars worn on the shirt collar

There are currently two captains at the Upland Police Department. The captains each command a division within the department. They are responsible for the day to day operations of their divisions as well as long range planning. In order to promote to the rank of captain a lieutenant must have a bachelors degree. The captains report directly to the Chief of Police.

Lieutenant:

Uniform Insignia: One silver bar worn on the shirt collar

There are three Lieutenants at the Upland Police Department. There is one Lieutenant assigned to each of the three divisions within the Department.  

Sergeant:

Uniform Insignia: Three stripes worn on each uniform sleeve

There are nine sergeants at the Upland Police Department. All eight sergeants are assigned to the Operations Division. They serve as front line supervisors of the patrol officers. They are responsible for guidance and the ongoing training of the officers assigned to their respective shifts. These sergeants report to the lieutenant assigned to their respective shifts.

Detective/Corporal:

Uniform Insignia: Two stripes over a star worn on each uniform sleeve

Currently there are 14 Detective/Corporals at the Upland Police Department. All of the detectives are assigned to the Detective Bureau. They are responsible for the follow-up investigation of crime reports. Corporals are assigned to patrol shifts, or to special teams within the department.

Officer

Uniform Insignia: No uniform insignia except for field training officers who wear one stripe over a star on each uniform sleeve

Currently there are 50 officer positions at the Upland Police Department. Most of the officers are assigned to patrol in the Operations Division. They are responsible for responding to calls for police service within the City of Upland. Additionally, they proactively enforce both criminal and traffic laws. Other officers are assigned to specialized units such as Narcotics and Traffic.