Most people don’t leave work through an honour guard of collegues and friends behind a piper, but then most of us haven’t been a working police officer.
Sergeant Garry Jardine was “piped” from the Tweed Heads Police Station last week as he ended a 43-year career.
Now police, fire, ambul-ance and court officers can come across as tough customers but, as they made an honour guard for their mate and colleague, there was hardly a dry eye in the group.
As he watched Garry being driven off in a police car for the final time, Tweed Byron Local area commander superintendent Stuart Wilkins was full of praise for “The Sarge”, saying few people stayed in any job for 43 years these days, even more rarely a public servant and, for a police officer, it was almost unheard of.
Sgt Jardine’s final role had been station manager Tweed Heads Police Station – his station for the past 15 years.
Starting as a police cadet in Sydney in 1969, Sgt Jardine served in several inner-west stations before heading out for nine years in Wellington.
He and wife Jennifer and family came here in 1997.
So what is he going to do now? Not much for a while, but then there’s a trip overseas with his wife Jennifer to look forward to.
