GORHAM – After 40 years protecting Gorham, Police Officer David Kearns retires Friday.

Kearns, 64, began his Gorham duty on April 1, 1971, and served over the years as patrol officer, detective and once acting chief. He has served five chiefs in Gorham. The third generation of his family in law enforcement, he began his career with the Portland Police Department in 1968.

A widely recognized, colorful figure, Kearns in four decades was fired on, had a brush with bikers, and was involved with investigating multiple high-profile cases, including murder. Kearns said he’d logged “thousands” of arrests in 40 years and the number of traffic tickets he has issued is “totally ridiculous.”

Town officials have only accolades for Kearns.

“Everyone knows him,” Gorham Chief Ron Shepard said recently. “This was David’s life and still is today.”

Lt. Chris Sanborn said the department could always rely on Kearns.

“He’s a true cop from the old school,” Sanborn said.

“He’s been a conscientious police officer since Day 1,” said Town Councilor Brenda Caldwell.

This week, Kearns and others reminisced about his time on the force.

During his early duty days, Gorham had only one officer on patrol with no backup available. In an incident on Brandy Brook Hill, Kearns stopped members of a notorious motorcycle gang and single-handedly took one into custody on warrants.

Carl Phillips of Phillips & Sons Body Shop, who was called to impound the motorcycle, said Tuesday the biker was in a group of 35 heading toward New Hampshire when Kearns spotted an improperly licensed bike.

“They stared at us,” Phillips said.

“I think more of this bike than I do my mother,” Phillips Tuesday recalled the one biker saying. “They helped me load the bike.”

Kearns “put him in handcuffs and said, ‘You guys can pick him up at county,’” Phillips said.

The next day 10 bikers showed up “just as nice as pie” with paperwork at Phillips’ garage to recover the motorcycle.

“He’s kind of a brave guy,” Phillips said one of the bikers, who were polite, told him.

In another motorcycle incident, Phillips said a kid unsuccessfully tried to elude Kearns.

“Gray-headed old [expletive], he can handle a cruiser,” Phillips recalled the kid saying after Kearns nabbed him.

Kearns’ first cruiser in Gorham was a 1971 Plymouth. The vehicles then lacked today’s sophisticated communications gear. Once, Kearns had stopped a car in Gorham. After releasing the driver and car, Kearns learned in a delayed report from state police that a passenger was wanted.

Mounting a pursuit up Ossipee Trail, Kearns caught up with and arrested the suspect in Freedom, N.H.

Local police departments were few in those days. “We were the last outpost until New Hampshire,” Shepard said.

Kearns was a detective when a Gorham teenager, Theresa Duran, was murdered, shot three times in 1984. The decomposed body was found a month after the girl was reported missing. Even today, police can’t discuss details of the mystery that is still an open investigation.

Kearns also helped investigate a double homicide when Charlie Turner, a former Gorham officer who was a deputy sheriff, and his son were shot during hunting season in the 1970s. Kearns and Turner were pals.

“We became awfully close,” Kearns said. “I used to ride with him on my days off.”

Kearns said the growth of the community is the biggest change during his four decades in Gorham. In 1970, the population was 7,839. The Gorham Police Department in 1971 was small, with a chief, a sergeant and two patrol officers.

Now, Gorham’s population has climbed to 16,381, according to Census Bureau 2010 figures, and the police department will be left with 21 sworn officers after Kearns retires. Kearns is the third long-time Gorham cop to retire in recent months. Officer Wayne Coffin retired Oct. 5 after 35 years and Sgt. Robert Mailman Jan 6 with 29 years of service.

When Kearns went to Gorham, the police station was at the corner of South and Preble streets on the second floor of the old high school building converted to a fire barn. The police station had a cook stove in a one-room headquarters with holes in the ceiling.

“We had to avoid pigeon droppings coming down,” Kearns said.

Police moved from South Street when a new town hall on Main Street opened in 1974.

Early police radios, dinosaurs located in trunks of cruisers, were subject to blowing tubes. In 1972, the department got its first Teletype. These days, Gorham officers are armed with the latest technology, and Kearns is no reactionary.

“I love technology,” said Kearns, who admitted he first hated computers. “Now, I work on them.”

Kearns recalled when Shepard joined the force and was on duty before even having a uniform. And Kearns told of when Sanborn arrived.

“He’s come a long ways. I remember when he was a kid coming through the door,” he said.

Kearns and his wife, Liz, were married in 1972. They have three daughters and two grandchildren. Dedicated to his work, Kearns was seemingly always at the police station.

“It’s a second family,” Kearns said.

He said 85 percent of his time has been enjoyable. But one domestic violence case was particularly harrowing.

“I got shot at” with a 12-gauge shotgun, Kearns said.

But, Kearns arrested the suspect after a long standoff. The man later threatened Kearns, his wife and kids. “That woman has taken a lot for this town,” Kearns said about his wife.

In retirement, Kearns plans to relax for a while and do chores around home. “Paint the house,” Kearns said.

Shepard said 40 years is a milestone.

“He’s earned his retirement and then some,” Shepard said.

Gorham Officer David Kearns retires Friday after a 40-year career. “He’s earned his retirement and then some,” says Gorham Chief Ron Shepard. Staff photo by Robert Lowell