South Carolina Policeman Bids Tearful Farewell After 25 Years of Service

“This is hard. I didn’t think it would be,” said Master Police Officer (MPO) Jim Gardiner, of South Carolina’s Spartanburg Police Department, as he prepared to sign off duty for the last time on August 14.

“MPO Gardiner worked most of his career on patrol and in our Criminal Investigations Division, but he also has served as the Liaison Officer to Spartanburg Housing Authority and Jury Trial Liaison Officer,” the police department said on Facebook.

This video shows an emotional Gardiner radioing in from his patrol vehicle, thanking workers “up in the office,” on whom he says officers “in the field” rely for their safety. He pays tribute to members of the town’s public safety and police departments, saying, “It has been my pleasure, an honor, and a privilege to be a part of a team.”

As the dispatcher responds, thanking Gardiner for his “years of service” and “his tireless efforts,” he becomes tearful. “We’ll miss you,” she tells Gardiner.

Just when he thinks it’s over, several more people radio Gardiner, one after the other, thanking him and wishing him well. “I did not expect this,” he says. Credit: Spartanburg Police Department via Storyful