Police Chief Marcelo Blanco

Chief Marcelo Blanco was born in Mendoza, Argentina. At age 5, his family moved to Madrid, Spain, where he lived for two years before emigrating to Los Angeles, California. He grew up in the L.A. area, and during his junior year in high school, his family moved to Upland, eventually graduating from Upland High in 1991. During his senior year in High School, he took an ROP (Regional Occupational Program) class where he was assigned to work at the Upland Police Department in the Crime Prevention Unit. He used to ride his bike from Upland High to the Upland Police Department.

Upon graduating high school, he was hired as a Police Cadet working in evidence. After two and a half years as a cadet, he was hired as a full-time CSO (community service officer). He spent six months as a dispatcher and eventually became the first civilian Crime Prevention Officer. Chief Blanco attended the extended police academy and was hired as a police officer upon graduation in May 1996. As a police officer, he worked patrol, DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) Instructor, and as SRO (School Resource Officer) servicing all of Upland’s elementary schools. Shortly after 9/11, he was assigned to the California Department of Justice Terrorism Task Force and the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force. While at the FBI JTTF, he obtained his security clearance. Some collateral duties he held as a police officer were first aid and CPR instructor, crisis and hostage negotiator, Explorer advisor, and president of the Police Officers’ Association.

In October of 2005, he was promoted to Detective, where he worked on various investigative assignments, including commercial/metal theft, missing persons, auto theft, child/elder abuse, and sex crimes. As a detective, his collateral duties included being the terrorism liaison officer, explorer post advisor, and mobile field force member. He was promoted to Sergeant, where he was a field supervisor and community resource unit/homeless outreach program supervisor. His collateral duties as a sergeant included: mobile field force team leader, explorer post coordinator, and terrorism liaison. On September 11, 2016, he was promoted to Lieutenant, where he worked as a patrol watch commander. Shortly thereafter, he advanced to Captain, where he has been the administrative service commander overseeing investigations, special teams, homeless outreach, records, code enforcement, animal control, police facilities, and budget.

Marcelo was a career technical education instructor for over 15 years and currently possesses a vocational teaching credential through California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. In addition, Marcelo served on the executive board as the treasurer of the Peace Officers Research Association of California (PORAC) and other chapter boards and committees for over 10 years. In this capacity, he assisted in furthering legislation to assist police officers statewide by participating in lobbying activities at the State capital and Washington D.C.

His formal education consists of an associate degree in liberal studies from Chaffey College. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Organizational Management from Ashford University and a Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership from California Baptist University. In addition, Marcelo is fluent in Spanish.

His professional certificates include Sherman Block’s Supervisory Leadership Institute – Class 332, Peace Officer Standards and Training Management Certificate, and California Police Chiefs Executive Leadership Institute at Drucker Certificate – Class 3.