Orchard Lake police chief reflects on path to his position

ORCHARD LAKE — When current Orchard Lake Police Department Chief Jeffrey Gomez first stepped foot onto Orchard Lake’s City Hall campus approximately 15 years ago, he was there on behalf of a taxi cab business, where he managed a fleet of vehicles.

Gomez was there because the business had won a bid to purchase a former Orchard Lake Police Department vehicle, with the intent of turning it into a taxi.

While he was there, he asked “long-time legend” Janet Green, a former clerk for the city, “Hey, do you have any police jobs open?”

Gomez had gone through a police academy and studied criminal justice at Schoolcraft College.

Green informed him that there was an opening for a seasonal part-time job for a police officer to guard a boat launch.

Gomez was hired for that position in 2009. He grew up in the Westland/Livonia area and was not too familiar with Orchard Lake at the time.

“So that’s how I got my start. I worked the weekends when I could and kinda fell in love with the area,” Gomez said.

Gomez’s role has evolved over the years and has included being an officer, a sergeant and a lieutenant. The most recent change came last November, when he was promoted to the position of chief of the Police Department, with Orchard Lake’s City Council unanimously approving the promotion.

“They gave me a shot, and I will forever be grateful,” said Gomez, who is 39. “Now that I’m almost coming up on a year here, things have settled down somewhat. I’ve settled into the position, and things are going great.”

Gomez said that it was strange being called “chief,” as that is not a position that he had previously aspired to.

In an email, Gomez stated that he enjoys being a “working chief.”

“I still love road patrol and frequently take a car out and assist, especially if an officer takes a day off,” he stated.

Gomez worked with Joe George, a previous chief at the Orchard Lake Police Department, for approximately 10 years. George was hired after Gomez had started at the Police Department.

According to Gomez, he was happy just being a patrol officer, but George pushed him to further his career in law enforcement.

“Jeff stands out,” George said. “It was easy to see when I came in, Jeff is very conscientious. He’s a very bright guy. … I think he was ready for the move.”

As Orchard Lake’s director of city services, Gerry McCallum said that he and Gomez work together very closely. He shared his perspective as to what helped make Gomez a strong candidate for the position of chief of the Orchard Lake Police Department.

“Climbing through the ranks, he’s been in numerous positions that qualify him to be the leader of the Police Department, but more importantly, I think chief knows the history of the city, cares very deeply about the city and its residents, and about the officers and how the Police Department is run,” McCallum said. “So overall, he was the best candidate to take over.”

McCallum shared another form of endorsement for Gomez.

“He was recommended by the union that represents the police officers as well,” McCallum said. “The police officers felt he would be a good commander and leader of the department, which he is. He’s been doing a fabulous job. (He’s) very conscious of how the department’s run, very conscious of his officers and of the residents of the city as a whole.”

Gomez is the first member of his family to work in law enforcement. He recalled that when he was a 15-year-old student at Livonia Franklin High School, the Livonia Police Department helped sell him on the idea of working in law enforcement via a “police explorers” program.

“It’s an introduction to youth into law enforcement, and I was almost instantly hooked,” Gomez said. “I made that my goal.”

With a background in the taxi business, starting off cleaning cabs after school, Gomez described his journey toward eventually becoming the chief of police for the Orchard Lake Police Department as a “strange road to get here.”

Gomez said that Orchard Lake is a unique, relatively small area, with approximately 2,500-ish residents.

“But we are a large passer town,” he said. “The amount of traffic that moves through this town is astonishing. I kinda consider it the gateway to the western freeways from Pontiac or vice versa. … We get lots of traffic.”

Gomez said that the Orchard Lake Police Department averages about 3,000-ish calls for service per year and employs 11 full-time officers.

Although he said that the crime rate is relatively low, as has been the case regionally, there has been an increase in larcenies from vehicles.

The city is typically not accustomed to experiencing such incidents, according to Gomez.

The culprits of such crimes target unlocked vehicles, and if key fobs are left inside, entire vehicles can be stolen.

According to Gomez, there have also been a few breaking and entering incidents within the last year.

Although a group from South America has been linked to breaking and entering crimes that target affluent homes in Oakland County, Gomez is not aware of that being an issue in Orchard Lake.

“We do not believe anything within the city of Orchard Lake is related to the South American theft group, but we have been closely monitoring, working with our law enforcement partners about information sharing and what we can do to combat that theft group that seems to have (targeted) Oakland County within the last year or so,” he said.

Residents can look for tips about crime prevention on the Orchard Lake Police Department’s Facebook page.

“Your Police Department’s here,” Gomez said. “If we can assist in any way, I would like to do that. Don’t hesitate to call us if you have any (questions) or need some help or anything along those lines.”

From George’s perspective, choosing Gomez to assume the role of chief in Orchard Lake was a solid decision.

“I think they had someone right there that was very qualified to do a good job,” George said. “You don’t need a new wheel when you have something that’s working. … He didn’t miss a step. … I think he had the support of his officers too.”

When Gomez, who is married and has a 6-year-old son, was still a relatively new officer, he recalled that George asked him how he liked the job.

“I said it was the greatest job in the world, and I still feel that way today,” Gomez said. “I’m so grateful that I did land in a place like this. … I, hopefully, have many years to go.”