After 34 years as a New York City cop, much of it in an Emergency Service Unit (ESU), Sergeant Paul R. Hargrove was honored at a retirement ceremony at the 109th Precinct in Flushing recently.
A crowd of police officers, family and friends gathered at the precinct command, at 37-05 Union Street on Friday, July 31, to wish the veteran well and witness him receive honors.
Hargrove was presented with a Certificate of Appreciation from Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown for his “professionalism, integrity and dedication,” which was presented by a former colleague, Lieutenant Jack Casey, a detective at the DA’s office.
“We come from law enforcement families,” said Casey, who has known Sergeant Hargrove since the mid-80’s, when they were in emergency service together.
“It’s not just an occupation for us. It becomes a way of life,” he said, praising his retired pal as “professional, knowledgeable, and a natural born leader.”
Detective Andrew Sperber, who worked on the same squad as Hargrove for the last four years, described him as being “very dedicated.”
“Most of the time they [cops] retire after 20 years,” he said, alluding to Sergeant Hargrove’s long career, which included ground-zero duty on 9/11.
“What I like most about the job, a lot of the times – the people,” Hargrove said. “The caliber of people you find in the police department. You can’t put a price on it.”
He said that he has met officers that could be directing traffic one minute and then “put it all on the line” to save someone the next minute.
Canadian Police Sergeant Jamie Jordan came down from his home in Ottawa, to pay is respects. He got to know Hargrove in 1997, when he came here for training.
“He always insisted his men treat people with respect and dignity and that’s the way he treated everyone," Jordan said.
With the official business concluded, and the retirement party awaiting at nearby St. Mary’s Nativity Church hall in Flushing, Sergeant Hargrove, formerly of ESU10, was whisked away in a classic 1930 Mack NYPD Emergency Service truck.
