By Stephanie Prokop, Staff Writer
FLORENCE — Family, friends and former police colleagues attended the Township Committee meeting Jan. 16 to give warm retirement wishes to former Florence Township Police Chief Gordon Dawson and former Police Chief Joesph Gadbois.
Mayor William Berry read and presented each former chief with an inscribed plaque that wished them both “best wishes for prosperity and rest” in their retirement.
Approximately 15 current police staff members, including Florence Township detectives Al Jacoby and Jon Greenberg, attended the ceremony and stood behind the Township Council.
After Mr. Dawson was presented with his plaque, he thanked his family and audience members for coming out to thank him for his 24 years of service on the Florence police force.
”Today I retire a very happy, very satisfied man,” Mr. Dawson said of his career.
”Keep up the good work,” he said to the employees standing behind the council, “and someday you will retire proud like I am today.”
Mr. Gadbois said that so far, he is enjoying his retirement. “I’ve been cooking dinner, and fixing things around the house,” he reported.
Mr. Gadbois served on the Florence police force for approximately 23 years, and said that it was “one of the happiest days of his life” when he was hired.
”I really have had a great career, and I feel privileged to have worked with such a great staff,” he said.
Township Administrator Richard Brook noted that the two recent retirees “embody every attribute that you envision a police officer to have: They protected, they served, and everything they did was for the interest of the township.”
”I really respect and admire them,” he said.
Mayor Berry added that although he has recently come on board as mayor, he has always been proud of the police force.
”You two have done an outstanding job,” he added.
Mayor Berry thanked each chief for the indelible footprint that each of them have left on the police force, and that their work will carry the force successfully into the future.
He thanked the police force for the recent arrest that led to finding the suspect who recently robbed the Beneficial Bank on West Front Street on Jan. 10.
Taking over for the former police chiefs is Chief Stephen Fazekas, who was appointed shortly after the formers chiefs retired in December 2007.
