"When to call 911”

When you call the police regarding a situation requiring police response, it is the Upland Police Department’s goal to provide the citizens of Upland with the highest quality and most efficient service possible. To help serve you better, here are some guidelines to use when calling the police department. Try to remain calm and answer the operator’s questions to the best of your ability.

What is considered an “emergency”?

An emergency is a life-threatening medical emergency, fire, crime in progress, or an injury traffic collision. If you’re unsure if your situation is an emergency, call 9-1-1 anyway.

What is a “non-emergency” and what number do I dial?

A non-emergency could be a loud music complaint, a barking dog, a parking complaint, a suspicious person, etc. The number to dial is (909) 946-7624.

What will I be asked?

 You may be asked any of the following:

• Where is the problem located and/or where are you calling from? 
• Why are you calling? 
• What is going on and why do you need the police?
• What is your name and general information about you?
• When did the incident occur?
• What is the suspect's description, including race, sex, clothing, hair color, facial hair, eyeglasses, hat, height, weight, etc.?
• What is the suspect's vehicle's description, including make, model, color, and license plate number?
• What is the suspect's direction of travel? If you don’t know compass directions, pick out landmarks in the direction the suspect headed?
• Provide as much detail as possible.
• Do you want the police to contact you?

By answering these questions, emergency response will not be delayed. Officers are usually dispatched while you are still on the phone. Your answers help dispatchers relay important information to the officers while en route.

What if I dial 9-1-1 by mistake?

Do not hang up! Before you hang up, tell the dispatcher you have dialed 9-1-1 by mistake. If you hang up and dispatch can’t confirm there is an emergency, an officer will be sent to your home or business to verify. While the officer is confirming the “mistake,” someone involved in a real emergency could have needed a police officer.

Are pay phones different?

You may dial 9-1-1 or an emergency at any pay phone without needing any coins. The phone number and location of the pay phone will show up on the police dispatch monitor.

What about calling 9-1-1 from my cell phone?

Technology is rapidly changing, and your call may go either to the California Highway Patrol or to the city you are calling from. Either way, dispatchers will not know your exact location, only the location of the nearest cell phone tower. If you do get the highway patrol and you need a particular city, they will transfer you. It is recommended that you program into your cell phone the non-emergency police numbers for cities you frequently travel through.

The Upland Police Department would like to thank you in advance for your assistance and being the “eyes and ears” of the department!

General Information 

Make sure your children know their full name, address (city and state), and their phone number with area code. They should know their parents’ full names.

Be sure kids know how to call 9-1-1 in an emergency and how to use the public phone. Calling 9-1-1 from a pay phone is free.

Tell your children never to accept rides or gifts from someone they or you don’t know really well.

Teach your children to never accept anything from an adult or help an adult “find a lost puppy” unless they have your permission.

Teach children to go to a store clerk, security guard, or police officer if they are lost or need help.

Set a good example with your own actions: lock doors and windows and check to see who’s there before opening the door.

Encourage your children to walk and play with friends--not alone. Tell them to avoid places that could be dangers: vacant buildings, alleys, playgrounds or parks with broken equipment or litter, or someone’s home that you haven’t approved them to be at.

Make sure your children know they are to call a parent or guardian if their plans change, no matter how many times they may change.

Check the school’s policies on absent children. Are parents called when a child is absent?

Teach your child to tell you about suspicious persons.

At Home Alone

Leave phone numbers where you can be reached. Post them on the refrigerator, along with numbers for neighbors, family, and friends. Also post the numbers for police, fire, and poison control personnel.

Agree on rules for having friends over and for going to a friend’s house when no adult is home.

Tell your children to never let anyone into the home without your permission, and never let a caller, at the door or on the phone, know there’s no adult home. Let the answering machine pick up.

If Your Child Is Being Taken

If someone tries to take your children, have them yell “This is not my Mom/Dad! I need help. Help, I’m being kidnapped.”

Tell your children to run to another adult, grab hold, and say they’re being abducted.

Tell your children to pull a fire alarm and stay close by it.

What Parents Should Know

Do not place clothing on your child with his/her name visible. This includes placing the child’s name on a backpack where it’s visible.

Familiarize yourself and your child with the neighborhood, school routes, neighbors, and your child’s friends. This means meeting other parents and spending time with them. Find out if there are guns in the home. Find out if the parents work, if their home has a pool, and what their rules are for visiting children.

Home Safety

• Always lock your doors and windows, even when leaving for “just a minute.” 
• If you hear an unexpected knock on the door, let them know you’re home by telling them you’re not interested in what they’re selling. Do this without opening your door.
• Never leave a house key under a doormat, in a flowerpot, or on the ledge of a door. These are the first places a burglar will look. 
• All exterior doors should be solid core wood or metal and have a dead bolt with at least a 1-inch throw that extends into the frame. 
• Increase the security of sliding glass doors and windows by installing additional security locks. When you’re sleeping or not at home, all windows and doors should be shut and locked.
• Cut shrubbery back so it doesn't hide doors and windows. Cut back any tree limbs a burglar could use to climb to an upper-level window. 
• Ask to see identification of any repairman or delivery person before opening your door. If you’re suspicious, call to verify. 
• Install exterior lights on timers that illuminate your doors and windows at night. 
• Use timers so lights, radios, and televisions go on and off through the house to give the appearance that someone is home. 
• Install a door viewer in your front door. Never open the door to someone you don’t know! 
• If a stranger asks to use your phone, offer to make the call for him/her. Have the person wait outside. 
• Never use “I” on an answering machine; use “we.”
• Never let a stranger know you’re home alone, whether the person is at your door or on the phone. 
• Never leave outgoing checks or paid bills in your residential mailbox. Go to the post office or use the blue USPS mailboxes.

Street Safety

• Be alert to your surroundings and the people around you. Trust your gut instinct! 
• Know where you’re going and the safest route to your destination. 
• Walk at a steady pace with your head up. Look confident and avoid looking down at the ground. 
• Stay in well lit areas and choose routes where other people will be walking. Walk with a friend whenever possible. 
• If someone is following you on foot, cross the street and head toward a busy area. If a vehicle is following you, turn around and walk in the opposite direction. 
• Vary your route while jogging or biking. Exercise with a friend and avoid isolated areas whenever possible. 
• If you carry a purse, hold it securely between your arm and body. 
• Do not use an ATM when it is dark outside.

General Safety

• Don’t overburden yourself with shopping bags. 
• When in a restaurant, don’t place your purse on the back of a chair. 
• When shopping, do not place your purse in the child’s seat of the shopping cart. 
• Direct deposit your paycheck or social security check. 
• If a robber asks for your wallet/purse, do not hand it to him; toss it away from you. The robber will be more interested in your wallet/purse than you. Run in the other direction. 
• Carry as little cash as possible. Remove unused credit cards and your social security card.

Vehicle Safety

• Keep doors locked. 
• Be aware; look around you; look into your car. 
• Have a mapping system (e.g. Thomas Guide) inside your car within arm’s reach. Do not rely on internet mapping systems. 
• Keep your car in good working condition. Always make sure you have enough gas. 
• Park in a well lit area, close to your destination, and observe your surroundings. 
• Make a mental note of where you parked. 
• Walk around your car, looking inside, before you get in. Once inside, immediately lock your doors. 
• Always have your keys in hand prior to going outside. 
• Program your cell phone with the non-emergency phone numbers of police departments in cities where you travel.