Chet Somera honored by Filipino-American organization
Chet Somera has been working to make Lodi a better place for decades. He spent 30 years with the Lodi Police Department, and in retirement he has worked with the Lodi District Chamber of Commerce to run the summer farmers market.
He helps to run the Lodi Police Partners program, which allows seniors to volunteer in roles like traffic control, freeing up officers for other duties.
He works with other chamber staff to bring in vendors for the Lodi Street Faire each May and October.
He has also organized the Lodi Parade of Lights since 2013. He ran the beloved Christmas parade first with the chamber, then with the Kiwanis Club, a group he’s been involved in for many years.
For his community service and role in public safety, Somera will be recognized by the Stockton chapter of the Filipino-American National Historical Society at their 35th anniversary luncheon on Saturday.
“It’s a pretty big honor for me to be recognized,” Somera said. “I’ve had a lot of help.”
Though Somera’s background is in law enforcement, he grew up working with his family on farms near Stockton.
That background has served him well as the organizer of the Downtown Lodi Farmers Market.
The Lodi District Chamber of Commerce took over the event in 2013, when the Downtown Lodi Business Partnership disbanded. Since then, Somera has helped to redesign and grow the market.
The state of California has praised the certified farmers market in recent years, said Pat Patrick, president and CEO of the Lodi Chamber. In fact, the market is consistently called one of the best out of the 880 farmers markets in California, he said.
That’s due in large part to Somera’s hard work and leadership, he said.
“He gives his time to continue to build community,” Patrick said. That’s why Patrick nominated Somera to receive the honor.
But Somera wasn’t always involved with the local agriculture community. For more than three decades, he was a law enforcement officer.
He started his career as a cadet with the Stockton Police Department, then went to the police academy. He served as a reserve officer at the San Joaquin County Sheriff ’s Department while he studied.
In 1977, he joined the Lodi Police Department, where he worked until his retirement in 2008. During that time, he worked on everything from drug cases and juvenile crime to homicides.
“I’ve been fortunate to be put into a certain place in people’s lives,” he said.
A lot of times, he was interacting with people who had become the victim of a crime — or a suspect who has hit rock bottom.
“I’ve had people who I’ve arrested come up to me and thank me,” Somera said.
One young man was involved in a local gang, and Somera arrested him a few different times. Later, he ran into the young man as an adult, and was pleasantly surprised that he had graduated college and begun a career as a pastor.
“It just shows me that sometimes people will come around,” Somera said.
Police work isn’t just about punishing criminals, he said. You have to treat them with respect as fellow human beings even if they’re on the wrong path, and you have to be supportive and caring toward their victims, too.
“It’s all about the Golden Rule of treating people the way you want to be treated,” he said.
Somera was eventually promoted to a supervisory role, where he
trained new recruits one-on-one, led Lodi’s bike patrol, and trained and certified K-9 teams, along with detectives. He retired as a lieutenant.
He continues to work part-time with the department, running a volunteer force of 120 Police Partners.
“These people are so wonderful; they’re such giving people,” he said.
While Somera did occasionally face prejudice due to his Filipino heritage, those incidents have been very few and far between, he said.
“I just appreciate that this community welcomed me as a law enforcement officer, that I was able to do a job here and feel successful,” he said.
Somera was also a member of the San Joaquin County Grand Jury for three years, including a stint as foreman, and served on Lodi Boys and Girls Club board from 1997 to 2005.
He was inducted into the Lodi Community Hall of Fame in 2015 for his service to the community.
Patrick was pleased to have the chance to nominate Somera for Saturday’s
honor. The Filipino-American National Historical Society had been looking for individuals who made positive contributions to their community and represented their culture, he said.
“Chet is a great ambassador for that,” Patrick said.
Somera is one of six honorees who will be recognized by the FANHS next weekend.
The Filipino Women’s Club of Stockton, Respect the Brotherhood Motorcycle Association and Frank Gatula are being recognized for their community service. Joan Elizabeth Singson is being recognized for her contributions to public health, and John-Enrique S. Roberts for his role in the performing arts.
The 35th anniversary luncheon will begin at 11 a.m. Oct. 21 at the Red Orchid Restaurant, 126 E. Market St., Stockton. Tickets are $25.
For more information or to purchase tickets, email