Erik Upson: ‘I will be incredibly committed to this community’
BENICIA POLICE CHIEF Erik Upson spoke Monday with The Herald.
Donna Beth Weilenman/Staff
But after a week on the job with Benicia Police Department, he said he already is feeling welcome.
Not only are city employees trying to make him feel at home, Upson said, but residents he has met are asking how they can help make his job easier.
He’s met some of those he’s been hired to protect as he walks up and down First Street, a practice he started when he came on board last week — and one he expects to keep up regularly.
“It’s early. I’m getting a feel for the department and the city,” he said Monday in an interview with The Herald. So residents and members of the police force shouldn’t anticipate any sudden changes.
But he said he does have a priorities that appear compatible with Benicia police’s operations. One is connecting with the community.
Not only does Upson want that connection for himself as police chief and as an individual, he said he also wants to make sure the entire department is connected with those who live in the city.
That’s why people saw him walking the length of First Street last Friday, introducing himself to them. That’s why he’ll be walking there and in other areas of the city on a weekly basis.
Under former Chief Andrew Bidou, Benicia police had periodic “Coffee with the Cops” community meetings at local restaurants. Upson is familiar with the concept.
“We did ‘Coffee with the Commander,’ he said. That let members of the Berkeley community meet with beat patrol officers, members of Neighborhood Watch organizations and police commanders. Also included were dispatchers, “so they could get the message out” about their jobs and so people could put faces to the voices that answer their emergency calls.
Upson said his other priority is working with youth, using a broad approach designed to improve the safety of young people. Again, past Benicia police programs have set the foundation for his goal; in June the department will have its second youth police academy.
Upson said he is aware of the close relationship Benicia police has with the Benicia Unified School District, and said he was glad to learn there are two School Resource Officers who work with students.
“That’s a wonderful thing. It’s a force multiplier to get kids on the right track early,” he said, particularly in middle school grades. “I want to keep that going.”
Upson, 42, didn’t know as a youth that he would pursue law enforcement as a career. After high school in Washington state, he entered the United States Army. After three years of active duty, he joined the Army National Guard.
After an aunt and uncle said he could stay with them in the San Francisco Bay Area, Upson moved to California to pursue his education. He initially enrolled in the College of Marin, then transferred to the University of California-Berkeley.
Early on, he worked at near-full-time hours in San Francisco as a buildings and ground control officer, answering to a police sergeant. That’s when he discovered his passion for police work.
The job wasn’t easy. “I worked in the Tenderloin and with real issues,” he said.
Upson now has a master’s degree from California State University-Long Beach, and is a graduate of the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Master Instructor Development School and POST Command College.
When it came time to pursue full-time work, he found the job market tight. He was among 200 applicants for a single opening. “I felt fortunate to get the job in Berkeley,” he said. He joined Berkeley Police Department in 1998 and started in the patrol division.
During his years in that department, he was assigned to traffic and motors (motorcycles), and he became an area coordinator in community services, where he served as a community problem solver. “I enjoyed that work,” he said.
Upson also was assigned to the Special Weapons And Tactics (SWAT) and crowd management teams. After being promoted to sergeant, he was assigned to the drug task force, then returned to patrol. He also was assigned to the bicycle patrol unit.
He also was reserves’ director and special events coordinator — a hefty assignment since Berkeley has plenty of major events, he said.
Eventually he became a SWAT team leader, too.
When he was promoted to lieutenant, he took over the Traffic Bureau, which in Berkeley is large enough to have its own substation.
Upson handled parking enforcement, has been a watch commander and was promoted to captain in 2010. After a brief stint in field support, he was assigned to command the Operations Division, made up of patrol, community services and the command center.
Pursuing and being chosen to fill the position of police chief in Benicia was “the next step in the journey,” Upson said.
“Operations commander is challenging, but to have my own ship was what I was looking for.”
He already was familiar with Benicia through other Berkeley police — a portion of that force lives here and often spoke about the city, he said.
“You hear it’s a wonderful community,” he said. “I thought it would be a great fit. It’s such a blessing to be here. I think it will work out well.”
He said both cities have residents with a strong commitment to the environment. Similar to those in Berkeley, Benicia residents are involved “in being responsible stewards.”
Upson is married and lives in Pleasant Hill with his wife, Janet, and their four children, Stephen, 13; Erika, 9; Ariana, 8; and Grayson, 5. He said the family has talked about moving here, but currently intends to stay put so their children can remain in familiar schools.
As for his first full week in Benicia, he said, “The amount of support has been overwhelming. It’s a great feeling. I’ll meet people who ask, ‘What can we do for you to make it safer?’ That’s incredibly positive, and a great hope for a good partnership with the community.”
He said he’s gotten the same welcome from city staff and other members of the department, including Lt. Mike Greene, who served as interim chief until Upson’s appointment.
“This is a close-knit family, and they make me feel a part of the family,” he said.
“I will be incredibly committed to this community. I hope people will see this in time.”
Sharing is caring!
Having worked side by side in Berkeley with Chief Upson, I congratulate him on his new job and know the Benicia Police Department is not only getting someone who will be a good chief, but is a great person.
Congratulations Chief!
Benicia is very lucky to have Chief Upson. I have worked with Upson for a long time and can attest he is the real deal. You can count on him to always do the right thing. He has a heart of gold.