He served well for 28 years. Salem City, N.J. Police Sgt. Douglas Hogate Sr., badge #612, made his final end-of-shift dispatch call. Then, an emotional moment. The voice of his son, Douglas Hogate Jr., a dispatcher with the city for nine years, comes over the radio to send his dad on his way for the final time.
"It is my honor to...acknowledge this Code 3 to the greatest man I know,” Hognate Jr. said over the police radio.
"My dad did one final ride through Salem and it was cool because it was like just us kids again. We grew up at the police station and he's been an officer all of our lives. It was an emotional time," Hogate’s daughter Jenna Keen, who recorded the special moment told NJ.com.
"Everybody wants to go out and change the world but this seemed exciting. I just had an interest in it," Officer Hogate said of his decision nearly three decades ago to become a police officer.
The Salem County 9-1-1 center first shared the story on its Facebook page:
It is with great pleasure to announce that as of today, March 24, 2016 at 1800 hours, after 28 years of service, Salem City Police Sgt. Douglas Hogate Sr., Badge #612, is retiring and has given his final Code 3. The Salem County 9-1-1 Center would like to wish Sgt. Hogate a Happy Retirement & wish him all the best!
