Updated 7:55 p.m. Feb. 11.
State College will soon be looking for a new police chief for the first time in nearly a decade.
John Gardner, a 35-year veteran of the State College Police Department who has served as chief since 2016, plans to retire at the end of the year, Borough Manager Tom Fountaine announced at Monday night’s Borough Council meeting.
“He’s really led the police department with professionalism, integrity and a commitment to community-oriented policing,” Fountaine said. “I’d personally like to thank John for his 35 years of service to the community, nine years of service as the chief, and wish him well in future endeavors.”
Gardner joined the department in 1990 and rose through the ranks while serving in an array of assignments. He was a patrol, field training and bicycle patrol officer, background investigator, criminal investigator, detective and supervisor and commander of various divisions. He held the ranks of officer, detective, corporal, sergeant, lieutenant, captain and assistant chief.
He was appointed in August 2016 as the eighth police chief in the borough’s history, succeeding Tom King, who held the role for 23 years.
“I think when you give 35 years of your life to an organization, you don’t do that by accident. That’s a decision,” Gardner said. “This has been such a great place. I can’t speak enough about the relationships I’ve had here, the great people I’ve worked with, from the police department [and] across the borough, but also many council members. I’ve worked under four or five mayors, and it’s just impressive the people we have here.”
Gardner credited borough leadership for their support of the department.
“I think sometimes when you’re younger you don’t appreciate those things,” he said. “We have the resources here. We’ve never had to fight tooth and nail to get the resources we need here, because I think everyone sitting up there understands to do the things we want to do and be as progressive as we want to be, it takes a commitment, not only a financial commitment, but a commitment to doing those things. That’s what we’ve been afforded the ability to do here, and for that I’ll be eternally grateful.”
Gardner, in a subsequent news release on Tuesday, cited among his proudest achievements as chief the implementation of body-worn cameras, the introduction of a social worker program in the department and the cooperation in creating the Community Oversight Board.
“These initiatives have served to promote transparency as well as an atmosphere that respects the dignity of everyone,” he said. “The department continues to grow and overcome challenges which would not be possible without the extraordinary police officers and civilian staff that we employ.”
Prior to joining the State College Police Department, Gardner earned a bachelor’s degree from Penn State and a master’s in administration of justice from Shippensburg Unversity, and was chief juvenile probation officer in the Clearfield County Probation Office from 1983-1990.
The borough will conduct a national search for the next chief and expects to appoint Gardner’s successor in late fall.
Mayor Ezra Nanes said the borough will celebrate Gardner’s career in the coming months.
“We’re going to take our time when the time comes to express our gratitude and appreciation for your 35 years of service,” Nanes said. “On behalf of everybody I say thank you and we will look forward to the opportunity to send you off properly.”
