Fullerton Police Department

The Fullerton Police Department is the official police force for the city of Fullerton, California. The FPD has protected the law and served the people of the city ever since Fullerton was incorporated in 1904. It now has almost 140,000 people and encompasses an area of 22.44 square miles, both of which represent the jurisdiction of Fullerton PD.

Fullerton is part of the larger Los Angeles metro area, but it’s still a city in its own right. Consequently, the FPD serves only the city of Fullerton. The FPD has a total of 153 sworn officers at the moment, as well as 78 civilian employees. It works on an annual budget of $35 million.

Locations & Facilities

237 W Commonwealth Ave
Fullerton, CA 92832
(714) 738-6700

You can find the headquarters for the Fullerton Police Department at 237 West Commonwealth Avenue, right in the city center. It’s very close to the Amerige Park, the Fullerton City Hall, and the Fullerton Community Center.

The building of the FPD is easily distinguishable as it’s almost entirely white and has a stunning tower with a clock. The main entrance is located on the corner of West Commonwealth Avenue and Highland Avenue.

Parking

Fullerton PD has a sizable parking lot next to the building, but if you can’t find a parking spot, you should try your luck down the road. Fullerton City Hall is incredibly close, and it features a much larger parking lot you can use.

History

The law came to Fullerton early on, first in the form of town constables, starting in 1887. But then, in 1904, the town marshal was introduced. The job was demanding for both the constables and the marshals as the Fullerton area was known for being home to outlaws in the early days.

Thankfully, this quickly changed, and the main job of police officers in the city was finding the source of bootleg liquor. Interestingly, Fullerton decided to ban alcohol a whole decade before the entire nation did.

It didn’t take long for the police force to become a full police department, which happened in 1918 when the first police chief came to duty. The police force was relatively small for a long time, and it found its first actual headquarters in 1941 when the town hall was built, with the FPD occupying the basement of the new building. In 1963, the FPD occupied the entire building as a new city hall was built, and all other administrative divisions moved out.

After that, the police force just kept on expanding, introducing new divisions and bureaus, constantly adding new equipment, and just moving on with the times.

Police Chief of Fullerton PD

The current chief of police for the FPD is Robert Dunn, who has been on duty since 2019. He started his career in the neighboring Anaheim and its own police department, which he subsequently left to become a captain at the Fullerton Police Department.

Past Police Chiefs

The Fullerton Police Department has had more than a dozen police chiefs in its almost 120 years long history. Here is a list of them:

  • A. A. Pendergrast (constable)
  • James Gardiner (constable)
  • W.A. Barnes (marshal)
  • Charles E Ruddock (marshal)
  • Roderick D. Stone (marshal)
  • William French (marshal)
  • Vernon Myers
  • Arthur L. Eeles
  • O. W. Wilson
  • Thomas K. Winter
  • James M. Pearson
  • John C. Gregory
  • Ernest E. Garner
  • Wayne H. Bornhoft
  • Martin Hairabedian
  • Philip Goehring
  • Patrick McKinley
  • Michael Sellers
  • Dan Hughes
  • David Hendricks

Fallen Officers

Ever since the Fullerton Police Department was established in 1904, thankfully, only two officers have lost their lives in the line of duty:

  • Officer Jerry Scott Hatch, who died in a vehicular assault in 1975
  • Detective Tommy De La Rosa, who died in a shooting in 1990

Online Services

The Fullerton PD official website offers a whole host of online services you can use whenever you need them. Here’s a complete list:

Jobs

Fullerton PD is always on the lookout for new employees, those seeking to become sworn officers, and those looking to join one of the several civilian jobs at the FPD. The Fullerton police also has a whole website dedicated to everyone who wants to join this family.

Social Media & Website

Website
Twitter
Instagram
YouTube

Fullerton Police Department has a well-produced recruitment video that shows you precisely what the job is and how it looks.  The camera follows countless officers, so you can see how each of the many units in the FPD operates. It’s definitely worth a watch if you’re looking to join the police force in Fullerton.