February 10, 2018 – John Foster, candidate for Nevada County Sheriff, has announced that Michael Gomez has joined the Foster Transition Team. A ten-year resident of Nevada County, Gomez brings an impressive background in law enforcement and public policy to the Foster team.
Michael Gomez was Bureau Chief of the California Department of Justice, Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training. P.O.S.T. is the certifying agency that oversees all law enforcement in the state of California. He oversaw all peace officer training, course certifications and hiring practices for northern California’s law enforcement agencies.
Gomez said, “I watched Chief Foster mentor police chiefs and departments statewide in community policing. Foster led by example. Foster is in the very top echelon of law enforcement in California and that is the primary reason I chose to join his team.”
Gomez was also Deputy Director of the Division of Investigation and Enforcement Programs at the California Department of Consumer Affairs. He was responsible for implementing the transition of two separate state peace officer agencies into a single agency that employed 228 employees and had a budget of over $26 million.
Gomez served as Deputy Sheriff and Sergeant for the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, where his assignments included patrol, gang investigations, detention and jail security and training for correctional staff.
Gomez graduated from the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy and the Law Enforcement Executive programs in Quantico, VA. He is a graduate of the University of California Davis and a United States Marine Corps veteran.
Gomez’s addition brings another highly respected law enforcement leader to the Foster transition team. Foster himself is a 35-year veteran of law enforcement and is the most experienced candidate in the Nevada County Sheriff’s race. He was Chief of Police in Grass Valley for over 17 years, President of the Central Sierra Police Chiefs Association and is active in numerous local and professional public safety organizations.
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