On August 1, 2016 at 10 a.m. sharp, a groundbreaking ceremony for the Upland Police Department Fallen Officer Memorial will be held at the Upland Police Department, 1499 W. 13th St.
The mayor, city council, city manager and other dignitaries will be in attendance.
Officer Ernest Ralph Dark was killed in the line of duty on September 17, 1940, leaving behind a wife and two young children. It doesn’t matter how much time has gone by, what matters is that we honor Officer Dark and his family with the promise we have made to “never forget.”
Officer Dark’s end of watch came as he was in pursuit of a traffic violator when his patrol unit struck another vehicle making a left turn in front of him. He was transported to a local hospital where he died four days later. The inquest found that the other motorist caused the collision.
Officer Dark was 41 years old at the time of his death.
With the generosity and outpouring of support from the community, local businesses and other organizations, the Upland Police Department will build a Police Memorial to honor the memory of Officer Dark. The ground- breaking ceremony will officially commence the project. The official unveiling of the Police Memorial is scheduled for September 17, 2016, during a formal ceremony.
While this will be a solemn event intended to honor the memory of officer Dark, those attending will have an opprtunity to meet and chat with members of the police department, mayor Ray Musser and council members Gino Filippi, Carol Timm, Debby Stone and Glenn Bozar as well as other local dignitaries.
For more information contact the Upland Police Department, Office of the Chief of Police, at 909-931-4365 or Sgt. Marcelo Blanco, Community Relations Office, at 909-946-7624, Extension 3364.