History of the Borough of Upland Police Department

Upland was incorporated into a Borough within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1869. On July 20, 1869, the Borough of Upland had their first Council meeting. At that meeting, Council discussed the possibilities of adding a”Patrol Policeman” to enforce the laws of the land. With the permission of the Crozer brothers, a resolution was enacted to utilize the cellar located in the “Reading Room” at 33 Main Street as a holding cell for prisoners.

Council reviewed a list of applicants applying for the position of “Patrol Policeman” on August 24, 1869 and at that time; Mr. Wetherill was placed in charge of a committee that would set the duties for that position. The salary agreed upon would be $10.50 per week. On August 31,1869, Upland Borough Council appointed Joseph A. Kyte to be the first “Patrol Policeman” for the Borough of Upland.

After the tragic shooting death of Sergeant Morris Albany in 1976,who attempted to foil a robbery while off-duty, Officer Charles Love was promoted to the rank of Captain. Captain Love held this top position in the department from 1976 until 2003 when he retired from law enforcement. Sergeant David Edwards acted as the head of the department from 2003 until 2008. Detective John Easton, a well-known homicide detective retired from the County of Delaware and accepted the position of Chief of Police in 2008. On January 22, 2014, Chief Easton retired from law enforcement and at that time Deputy Chief Nelson Ocasio was made Acting Chief.  At the May 13, 2014 Upland Borough Council Meeting, Deputy Chief Ocasio was promoted to the rank of Chief of Police.

In February 2016, Chief Ocasio left the police department and Detective Michael Irey, who had previously worked in The Nether Providence Township Police Department, holding the rank of Detective Sergeant, was put in charge of the department.  Chief Irey was formerly sworn in on May 26, 2017 becoming the third person to hold the rank of Upland Borough Chief of Police.

As the times change, the Upland Police Department continues to grow and develop, by adding the latest technologies, from a fleet consisting of Dodge Chargers, Chevrolet Tahoe, Harley Davidson Motorcycle, all-terrain vehicle, to license plate readers and advance equipment within the patrol vehicles. We have evolved greatly since the days of Officer Kyte patrolling with his horse. However the mission remains the same, to protect, defend, and serve the citizens of the Borough of Upland and safeguard the community.