Behind the Badge
When Gary Gomer began working as a mechanic for the Fullerton Police Department, mood rings, pet rocks and Rubik’s cubes were the hot products on the market, and Jimmy Carter was president of the United States.
It also was eight years before Dan Hughes – currently with the FPD 33 years – became a cadet.
Gomer, 70, hung up his lug wrench last week for the last time after 41 years of keeping police vehicles on the road. Now-Chief Dan Hughes celebrated the outgoing mechanic with a permanent tribute.
Fullerton Police Chief Dan Hughes presented Gary Gomer a street sign that reads “Gomer’s Garage” to commemorate Gomer’s 41 years of serving FPD vehicles. The sign hangs above the garage at FPD headquarters. Photo by Lou Ponsi
The garage where Gomer spent time under the hoods of countless police vehicles will forever be known as “Gomer’s Garage.”
A street sign signifying as much is now positioned over the garage entrance.
“One of the things that is so impressive about Gary is that he treated me with such dignity and respect when I was 18 years old, and nothing has changed,” Hughes said in an informal ceremony last week inside the garage. “After 41 years, I have not ever talked to a single person who has ever had a bad word to say about Gary. He has always been just a genuinely authentic nice man.”
Officers, detectives, cadets and professional staff lined up to wish Gomer a blessed and happy retirement.
Fullerton PD Cpl. Joe Torres congratulates mechanic Gary Gomer, who is retiring after 41 years of servicing FPD vehicles. Photo by Lou Ponsi
“Without these cars working, we can’t go out and do our job,” Sgt. Jon Radus said. “So it really starts with him making sure our cars are working.”
At the time of his retirement, Gomer was responsible for servicing more than 100 vehicles.
He’s planning to spend his retirement in Idaho.
A cake with frosting in the likeness of Gomer, holding a wrench and standing beside a squad car with its hood raised, read: “We thank you for 41 years. We thank you for all you have done!”
Ask anyone in the department and they’ll tell you that Gomer is a man of few words.
Fullerton Police officers and professional staff members lined up to congratulate mechanic Gary Gomer for his 41 years of service. Photo by Lou Ponsi
That held true last week too, but Gomer did manage to express some sentiments.
“It’s a bizarre feeling,” he said of his retirement. “All I can say is that I’m glad I treated these guys well because they are all my bosses now.”
Before being hired at the FPD, Gomer learned to be a mechanic while in the Army.
He did a few odd jobs when he got out of the service before applying to the Fullerton Fire Department.
“My eyesight wasn’t good enough,” he said.
But it worked out, maybe for the better, when Gomer was invited by the police department to interview for a position as a mechanic.
“He has helped me when I’ve been stranded on the road,” Hughes said. “(Even) fixing radios. He has literally been the fabric of our department.”
Fullerton PD Det. Claudia Pineda congratulates mechanic Gary Gomer on his retirement. Photo by Lou Ponsi
Gary Gomer, a mechanic who serviced Fullerton police vehicles for 41 years before retiring last week, was honored with this cake during an informal ceremony at the FPD garage. Photo by Lou Ponsi
Photo by Lou Ponsi
