Hatboro Police Chief Retiring After 40 Years Of Service

HATBORO, PA —Hatboro Police Chief James Gardner —who served in the police department for four decades —is retiring.

Hatboro Borough Council will honor Gardner at its Feb. 26 meeting at 7 p.m. at Borough Hall at the Loller Academy on York Road.

Gardner started his career in the Hatboro Borough Police Department as a dispatcher in August 1984 at age 18, receiving a starting hourly rate of $4.60.

In 1986, Gardner became a part-time police officer while also working part-time for the Warwick Police Department.

Gardner then became a full-time Hatboro police officer in August 1987, borough officials said.

In February 1990, he was promoted to corporal and then was assigned to the position of Detective Corporal in March 2000.

In 2002, Gardner was appointed as police chief. He also served as borough manager from May 2005 to April 2010.

Gardner has had a long and distinguished career, borough officials said in a Facebook post about the retirement announcement.

He received his first letter of commendation less than a year after being hired full-time.

Gardner earned several commendations and awards throughout his career, some of which include a 199 arson arrest, 1997 and 1999 burglary arrests, a 20133 Montgomery County District Attorney's Office commendation for a robbery case, and a 2019 award for service from Victims Services of Montgomery County.

Over the years, the chief has received numerous letters from community members, organizations, and community leaders thanking him for the help he provided, the services he rendered, and the problems he helped solve, borough officials said.

Gardner oversaw our department becoming accredited by the PA Police Chiefs Association, and the building of the new police station, which was completed in 2018.

During his tenure, Gardner ensured that all police officers received Crisis Intervention Training from Montgomery County Emergency Services (mental health, drug, and alcohol emergency service facility).

The department was the first in Montgomery County to have all its officers trained in Crisis Intervention, borough officials said.

This took place before crisis intervention was at the forefront of national attention.

Many departments have now followed; however, he was ahead of the curve on this one," borough officials said.

"The chief has been an ardent supporter of the men and women of our department over the years both professionally and personally," borough officials said. "He is a caring and compassionate boss and has been there for his employees in the good times, but more importantly, during the inevitable bad times. As you know, our department has experienced some tragic events over the past few years. Without the great leadership and support from Chief Gardner, our department would not be in the strong position it is now, ready to tackle the public safety needs of Hatboro when he retires."