Hatboro Police Chief Named ‘Hometown Hero’

Hatboro Police Chief James Gardner has never forgotten his roots.

As a teenager, barely out of in 1984, Gardner, now 45, began working as a dispatcher for the .

After putting himself through the police academy, Gardner worked as a part-time police officer from 1986-1987. Three promotions and 25 years later, Gardner, who has been chief of the 14-member department since 2002, looks forward to the times when he can return to those early roots.

“I like days where I can just go out and grab a car and go out on patrol,” Gardner said. “It keeps me in tune to what’s going on.”

Of course living in the community through school and later working there has helped Gardner to stay connected to the town he serves. In his earlier days, Gardner said he had opportunities to work for other police departments, but chose to say in Hatboro. 

“I’m glad I did,” Gardner said of his nearly three decades of work in his hometown.

Gardner’s service is not something that goes unnoticed. Prior to today’s doubleheaders against the Binghamton Mets, the Reading Phillies, during its home games, will recognize Gardner as a Hometown Hero.

“I’m not really much into that kind of stuff,” said Gardner, a self-proclaimed “big baseball fan,” noting that, despite his modesty, the recognition is an honor. 

Kyle Heiden, a group sales associate for the minor league baseball team, said Gardner’s dedication made him an easy choice for the honor, which is bestowed on one individual at each of the Reading Phillies’ home games.

“He was raised in Hatboro,” Heiden said. “He’s worked his way up through the police department.”

Gardner, as well as other Hometown Heroes, receive complimentary tickets to the game and are recognized during a pre-game ceremony, Heiden said. Honorees are chosen in areas from Harrisburg to Philadelphia, he said, noting that in addition to fire, police and EMS personnel, the organization has recognized parents, siblings and grandparents for special or unique deeds.

The Reading Phillies kicked off the program this year as a way to “give back to the community,” Heiden said.

Giving back – and making a difference in the community - is one of Gardner’s rules to live by.

“Whenever I come into work each day I have the ability to positively change somebody’s life,” Gardner said. “You can bring a ray of hope or a ray of kindness … Even in a bad situation.”

While bad situations, or serious crimes tend to garner the most attention, Gardner said it's the simpler things that stick with him. It's the crime that the police were able to prevent because of proactive patrols, or the youth able to be reached through community education programs, like the borough's, which is slated for Tuesday evening. 

“We like to prevent things before they happen,” Gardner said. "We're kind of there to help the community."