Upland, CA — The Upland City Council honored one of its bravest public servants and took steps to raise community awareness during its meeting Monday night, which began with emotional presentations and continued with community-focused discussions.
The Council chamber proclaimed April 2025 as Child Abuse Prevention Month. The proclamation, accepted by Ashley Brooksher of the Children’s Network, emphasized the critical role community members play in reporting and preventing abuse.
Brooksher noted that in 2024, over 106,000 child abuse referrals were made countywide, with nearly 1,000 coming from Upland alone.
“Child abuse comes in many forms, and may include physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse and neglect,” Brooksher said. “Each one of you serves as the eyes and ears of the community. It only takes a minute to make that call that might help a child or family in need.”
The council also honored Upland Police Department’s K9 officer Rudy, recognizing his retirement after more than eight years of dedicated service. The Slovakian-born German Shepherd responded to approximately 11,000 calls for service and was instrumental in numerous felony apprehensions, narcotics arrests, and SWAT missions.
“Rudy’s keen nose led to the recovery of over 89,000 grams of narcotics and seizure of more than $1.3 million in cash from traffickers,” said Mayor Bill Velto. “His career has been one of loyalty, bravery and incredible service.”
Police Chief Marcelo Blanco expressed frustration with recent legislative efforts to restrict police K9 use.
“Sadly enough, we were dealing with legislators that wanted to take this tool away from us because they felt the dogs were violent,” he said. “When the only stats that were being kept were the bites and not the apprehensions, then it does look like every time the dog shows up, it bites somebody, but in reality, it does not.”
According to a 2024 American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) report, two-thirds of Californians severely injured by police dogs are people of color, and Black Californians are 2.6 times more likely to be seriously injured by police dogs than white people. In cities like Fairfield and Richmond, Black residents—who make up 16% and 18.4% of the population respectively—accounted for over 61% and 54% of police dog bite victims.
The report shows that police are permitted by law and agency policy to use dogs on unarmed, non-threatening individuals, including those already restrained or visibly in crisis, resulting in life-altering injuries or death, without corresponding increases in public safety or officer safety.
After the presentations, public comments drew attention to local safety concerns. John Glenn, a former Upland High School teacher, raised alarms about unsecured dumpsters in a commercial parking lot.
“My wife’s car was struck by a dumpster that rolled down the lot during heavy winds,” he told the council, holding up a repair bill for $7,800. “Bank of America refuses to take any responsibility, and they haven’t done anything to prevent this from happening again.”
Another speaker, Frank Ayala, called for greater police presence at city intersections following a car crash he suffered when a driver ran a red light.
“I could not be here right now,” Ayala said. “If there could be more of a police presence at that intersection, maybe a motorcycle cop, that slows people down.”
The Council unanimously ratified the appointment of Todd D’Braunstein to the Public Works Committee, with a term running through December 2028.
In response to a San Bernardino County Grand Jury report about potholes, the Council approved a response letter outlining the City’s actions on infrastructure repair.
“The Council provided comments and the steps the City has taken to address infrastructure needs,” according to the Assistant City Attorney Thomas Rice.
Councilmembers also reviewed mid-year budget adjustments for fiscal year 2024-25. City Manager Michael Blay proposed a restructuring of management roles, including reclassifying the Public Works Director position to a dual-role with Assistant City Manager duties. The council approved the budget changes unanimously.
Councilmember Carlos Garcia emphasized fiscal oversight moving forward.
“The Council directed staff to bring future mid-year budget adjustments to the Finance Committee prior to bringing it to Council for approval,” he said.
