Emotional farewell for Jardine
A TWEED police officer was reduced to tears when he received a guard of honour from colleagues as he walked through the station doors for the last time.
Police lined the footpath as 43-year police veteran Sergeant Garry Jardine followed a bagpipe player from the station to a waiting car before being whisked away yesterday.
Sgt Jardine was the station manager-supervisor at Tweed Heads Police Station for the past 15 years.
He said he was looking forward to having more time to spend with his wife Jennifer, travelling overseas, being involved with Toastmasters and roving the country on his 650cc motorbike.
"The job has been a rewarding experience, but all good things come to an end sometime," Sgt Jardine said when he announced his retirement.
Sgt Jardine said he and his wife would have an overseas holiday to celebrate his retirement.
"Our son is working in London and we plan to catch up with him during the trip," he said.
Sgt Bruce Jones, who has worked alongside Sgt Jardine since his arrival at Tweed Heads, said his colleague would be "sorely missed by all of us."
Sgt Jardine began as a police cadet in February 1969 and was sworn in as a probationary constable on the 17 June, 1971 in Sydney.
He was transferred to the criminal investigation branch in 1975.
Sgt Jardine continued in plain clothes at a number of metropolitan locations including the regional crime squad until a transfer to Wellington in 1988 as a detective sergeant.
In 1990, Sgt Jardine returned to general duties policing but remained at Wellington until 1996 when he successfully sought a transfer to Tweed Heads where he has remained for the past 15 years as a shift supervisor before becoming station manager.
