Retiring Police Chief Will Be Honored At Hatboro Meeting

HATBORO, PA —Retiring Police Chief James Gardner is getting one extra day to run the borough's police department.

With Leap Year, Gardner's last day as police chief will be Fe. 29. He's retiring after 40 years of service to the borough.

At Monday's Borough Council committee meeting, officials announced that Gardner will be honored at the Feb. 26 council meeting. That announcement was met with a round of applause.

It is unknown at this time what the borough has planned for Gardner.

The council meeting starts at 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 26, at the Loller Academy, which is Borough Hall.

Gardner has spent half his tenure as the borough police chief.

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

During his tenure as chief, 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.