By Jason Wesseldyk
Sports Editor
Bill Bomar never had a Plan B when it came to his career path.
“Even before I got into high school, I knew I wanted to be a police officer,” Bomar said. “Then when I was in high school, I was part of a program that let me work with the local police department in Grand Haven and I loved it. I really respected the chief and enjoyed everything about it.
“That really solidified my desire to be an officer. It’s the only thing I wanted to do. That was Plan A, and it was the only plan I had.”
Bomar didn’t need any other plans, as evidenced by the fact that he spent 44 years with the Plainwell Department of Public Safety before officially retiring on Thursday, Feb. 10.
Nearly half of his time with the department was spent as the department’s director, as he took over that role in May of 2000. That followed an 11-year stint as a patrol sergeant after working as a patrol officer for the first 11 years.
“I’ve enjoyed my time with the department very much,” Bomar said. “I’ve been fortunate to work with some great individuals. I couldn’t have asked for a better place to work.”
Some of those coworkers—both current and former—were among the people who showed up to honor Bomar at his retirement party on his final day. Family members and friends were also in attendance, as were such dignitaries as Michigan State Senator Aric Nesbitt and Michigan State Representative Mary Whiteford.
“It meant a lot to me to see so many people come out (to the retirement party),” Bomar said. “I heard a lot of nice words and I received more than 50 cards. It was nice to know that I had made a difference for people.”
After graduating from Grand Haven High School in 1973, Bomar received his associates degree in criminal justice from Muskegon Community College in 1975. Two years later, he earned his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Ferris State University.
Then, while working for another police department, Bomar dropped off his resume in Plainwell in November 1977. He was hired into the department in February 1978.
“As soon as I got here, it just felt like home,” Bomar said. “I knew it was where I wanted to be.”
Bomar has experienced several changes to law enforcement during his four-plus decades in the business. Locally, the biggest change came in 1992 when the city merged its police department and fire department into the department of public safety.
“As a small town, it just seemed to better suit our needs,” Bomar said of the change. “I think it’s been really good for the city.”
In terms of the cases he’s worked, Bomar said two stand out in his memory.
One involved a man Bomar described as a career criminal who was at a local bar. Something about the man put Bomar on high alert.
“The guy just didn’t seem to belong here,” Bomar said. “I ran his plates and low and behold, the vehicle came back as having been stolen in Canada.”
Bomar took the man into custody and discovered he was wanted by the FBI.
“You don’t get a case like that every day,” Bomar said.
The other memorable case involved apprehending an 18-year-old man who sexually assaulted a young boy at a local restaurant.
“Another officer and I kept patrolling the area and we eventually caught him,” Bomar said.
Bomar, who shares adult children Megan (2002 Plainwell High School graduate) and Ryan (2005 PHS grad) with wife Karen, said that while he’ll miss his job, he knew the time was right for retirement.
“I’ve thought about (retiring) for a few years, but we were having some staffing issues—just like most places these days—and I didn’t want to add to that,” he said. “But I finally put a date on it and we went from there.
“I’ll definitely miss my co-workers. They are all amazing at their jobs and were a pleasure to work with. People tend to stick around at our department for a while, which made us pretty close with each other.”
Bomar plans to do some traveling in his new-found free time. To that end, he has already flown to California to visit his daughter, son-in-law and grandchild.
“I definitely want to take some fishing trips,” he said. “And there are some other places my wife and I would like to visit. We don’t have any definite plans yet, but I’m sure I’ll find ways to stay busy.”