Longtime Hagerstown police officer Robert I. Hart was honored Tuesday with a city award, an honorary promotion and a proclamation that made Tuesday, Robert I. Hart Appreciation Day in Hagerstown.
Hart rose to the rank of captain, the second highest rank in the city Police Department, during his 35-year career. Twice Hart served as acting-police chief while the city searched for a new chief. Hart is expected to retire in about a month, City Administrator Bruce Zimmerman said.
About 25 police officers and family members attended a brief ceremony Tuesday afternoon at City Hall.
During the ceremony, Mayor Robert E. Bruchey II swore Hart in as the city's deputy chief of police, an honorary position that will not be re-staffed when Hart retires, Zimmerman said.
Bruchey, whose father served with Hart on the city police force, presented Hart with the proclamation, praising Hart for his years of service and calling Hart, "a leader and an inspiration to those who know him."
