Fullerton : Acting Police Chief Gets Post Permanently

Acting police chief Capt. Philip A. Goehring Monday was named chief of the Police Department, city officials said.

Goehring, 49, a 25-year veteran of the department, was selected from a pool of 20 applicants, city Personnel Director Mark Flannery said.

Goehring, who was promoted to captain in 1980, has been the interim chief since December, when former Police Chief Martin Hairabedian was appointed to a North Orange County Municipal Court judgeship.

During his years with Fullerton, Goehring has “worked in virtually every detail, including the traffic bureau, patrol, narcotics investigation, forgery and burglary investigation,” city spokeswoman Sylvia Palmer said Monday.

A Missouri native, Goehring has a law degree from Western State University College of Law and has been a member of the California Bar Assn. since 1976. He teaches civil liability and rules of evidence at the Police Reserves Academy at Fullerton College, and he is a member of the Orange County Administrative Commanders Assn. He also is participating in a two-year study course at the Command College sponsored by the state Justice Department, Palmer said.

Goehring’s salary had not been finalized Monday, but it was expected to be around $70,000 annually--$80,000 with benefits, Flannery said.

Goehring is a resident of Orange, where he lives with his wife, Dottie. They have one son, Robert, 22.