Richard W. "Rich" Goss III '84 is a Lieutenant of Police with the San Francisco Police Department. He is currently assigned to patrol on the Night Watch at Taraval Station, but he has worked in many other units, including a variety of patrol assignments around the city, administrative assignments with the Legal Division and Court Liaison, several investigative units including a Station Investigations Team, Domestic Violence, and Special Victims, where he conducted child abuse investigations. He is a certified expert in EOD/Explosives and is the ranking officer in charge of the Underwater Recovery Unit (URU). 
 

Goss was born and raised in San Francisco. His father, grandfather, and great-grandfather had all graduated from Hotchkiss, but as a child, Rich didn't think about that much. "My father had grand visions of us all going to Yale, as he did. When I got my sixth-grade report card, my dad looked at it and said, 'There is no way he is getting into Yale.' So, I was sent to the Fessenden School for seventh-, eighth-, and ninth-grade, with the expectation that I would then go to Hotchkiss and on to Yale."

At Hotchkiss, Goss considered himself to be a typical boy. "I needed to get out and run around in order to get my brain working, so sports were very important to me. I loved football, and in my senior year, we were undefeated. I still see a handful of my teammates from time to time." Goss keeps in touch with several faculty members. "The entire faculty had an impact on me, but the late Walter Crain, whom I consider one of the best coaches I have ever had, and Lou Pressman, my advisor, on whom I could always rely, were especially important to me."

Though Goss did, in fact, get into Hotchkiss, he did not go on to Yale, matriculating instead at the University of California at Berkeley. "Though it was not my intent to go there, I ended up getting a B.A. in Rhetoric and Composition. I am captivated by history and took two fascinating courses in Rhetoric that had me going back for more. I also enjoyed religion courses." 

His choice of colleges would impact Goss's life in a serendipitous way. "I always knew that I wanted to become a police officer. I constantly asked for uniforms as Halloween costumes and as Christmas and birthday presents when I was a kid. While at UC Berkeley, I was looking for a way to earn beer money, and after trying a handful of jobs around campus, I settled on a UCPD Student Aide position. Not only was it the highest-paying job on campus, but also it involved wearing a uniform," recalls Goss. As a uniformed aide, he escorted women home and conducted security checks. Eventually, this led to an assignment in the Detective Bureau which affirmed that he truly wanted to go into law enforcement, though that would be a few years away.

After deciding to take some time to explore the world after college, Goss learned to scuba-dive in Australia, and worked as a campaign manager for his uncle, Porter Goss '56's successful bid for a Florida congressional seat in 1988. But his long-time dream began to materialize in 1991, when he became a police officer after attending the Ventura County Criminal Justice Training Center. Goss returned to UC Berkeley as an official member of the University's police force, where he served as a Field Training Officer, bomb technician, SWAT team member, bike cop, and trainer. As part of his duties, he provided dignitary protection to Chancellor Helmut Kohl of Germany, the Dalai Lama, Hillary Clinton, Al Gore, and many others. Though he served in a variety of details, he failed to get a detective's job or get promoted to Sergeant, so he left and joined the San Francisco Police Department in 1999. 

Goss found career success in San Francisco. He served as a Field Training Officer and as a beat cop for the Haight/Ashbury and Marina Districts, before being promoted to Sergeant in 2007. Instead of supervising other officers, Goss was hand-picked to be an Inspector. He joined the Domestic Violence Unit, and after learning the tools of the trade, he was again hand-picked to join the Special Victims Unit, conducting child abuse investigations. "A lot of this work was fairly routine, such as dealing with parents with unruly teenagers. But there were certainly many very sad situations. I don't have much tolerance for child abusers, and there was one case that hit very close to home. I suspected that one of my son's classmates was sexually assaulted, but we did not have enough evidence to bring the perpetrator to justice; this still haunts me today. Our job was to get these cases to court, but that isn't always possible, so you try to focus on the kids you can help."

Having served in the Special Victims Unit until November 2009, Goss was then again hand-picked to lead a new investigative team at the Ingleside Police Station. There, he supervised six other detectives and conducted general investigations of robberies, burglaries, assaults, and batteries. More recently, Goss was chosen to join the Legal Division, where he currently supervises the officers who complete the Brady investigations, which involve claims against the City and County of San Francisco. He also assists peripherally with Internal Affairs investigations or any other issue that can't be handled by other departments. In 2015, Goss was promoted to Lieutenant and has been assigned to manage the Night Watch at Taraval Station. He currently manages nine Sergeants and 55 Officers. 

Policing today presents its own set of challenges. Technology is both a help and a hindrance, according to Goss. "The amount of information available through social media has changed everything. Information, such as video, can be unbelievably helpful, but videos can also be manipulated and may not tell the whole story. Video storage has become an issue, as 2,200 officers produce a lot of video on any given week. Our first storage facility was full in six months, so we have had to get additional storage facilities. With that we have the questions of how long to keep video and how to keep it secure. We are now 'managed by bulletins.' Bulletins become policy, and we are required to learn the policy. The amount of paperwork is extraordinary." 

Goss also points to the advances in solving both existing and cold cases with DNA. "Genetic testing from a law-enforcement perspective has helped solve many cases. One example is the recent discovery of the Golden State Killer. But like anything else, this creates questions. The courts at every level will need to decide if this process is too intrusive, or if the benefits to society outweigh that."

Though some people might think that the public are no longer supportive of police, Goss disagrees. "I know that is not the case. Of course, there are some issues with individuals, but for the most part, I find the public to be helpful and appreciative of our efforts." Goss thinks that the National Night Out, where police officers have the opportunity to have fun and get to know the community is a win-win situation. "In San Francisco, we have a similar program called 'Coffee with the Cops,' where we can meet and interact with our community. It's a great program."

The Goss name is synonymous with Hotchkiss, with deep roots in Lakeville. The family's relationship with the School goes back almost to its beginning. Brothers Chauncey and George Goss graduated in 1899. Rich's grandfather, Richard Goss, was a member of the Class of 1925, and Rich's father was a member of the Class of 1951 and served the School as a trustee. The family boasted 19 Hotchkiss graduates by the end of the School's first century, and many more have followed. Many alumni have fond memories of Goss Gymnasium, which served the School well for a number of years.

A few years ago, both Goss and his now-deceased father were honored by the city of San Francisco. "My father gave his time to the Fine Arts Museum as a board member, and I worked for the police department, but we both served our community. People with the benefit of a Hotchkiss education can offer a great deal to their own communities. It was quite an honor to be recognized by the city as a 'Family that Gives Back.' "

Goss loves his job and would totally recommend his line of work to current students. "Though you will face challenges in any job, there are so many ways to really make a difference in law enforcement. It has been a great ride. I have gotten to learn about the places and people in our community. I feel that even though I grew up in San Francisco, I have now gained a real understanding of this city, the community, and its history."