An Idaho police officer burst into tears as he signed off as an officer for the very last time.
Officer Buc Rogers couldn’t contain his emotions on Sunday evening as he sat in his patrol car preparing to bid the Idaho Falls Police Department farewell.
Rogers, who served on the force for 27 years, picks up his radio as he chokes back tears and says: ‘Dispatch, local units, city and county. 8B-81. 10-42. Thank you for the years.’
Officer Buc Rogers burst into tears as he signed off as an officer for the very last time. Rogers couldn’t contain his emotions on Sunday evening as he sat in his patrol car preparing to bid the Idaho Falls Police Department farewell
Rogers, who served on the force for 27 years, picked up his radio as he choked back tears and said: ‘Dispatch, local units, city and county. 8B-81. 10-42. Thank you for the years’
The heartwarming moment was captured by the 56-year-old patrolman’s wife, Gail Birdsong, who posted the touching video on Facebook.
As of Thursday morning, the video had more than 26,000 views and had been shared more than 300 times.
Just moments after Rogers signed off, several officers and dispatch wished him well over the radio.
‘Good luck,’ one officer is heard telling Rogers. ‘Have fun, from dispatch,’ another voice says over the radio.
‘Take care of yourself,’ one officer said as another added: ‘We’ll miss ya man.’
Rogers told EastIdahoNews.com that leaving the force meant ‘leaving a family’.
Rogers breaks down as several officers wish him well. ‘Good luck,’ one officer is heard telling Rogers. ‘Have fun, from dispatch,’ another voice says over the radio. ‘Take care of yourself,’ one officer said as another added: ‘We’ll miss ya man’
‘When you become a police officer, it’s for life. Your friends become your family,’ Rogers said.
‘You always have your fellow officers and their families no matter what.’
Rogers became an officer of the Idaho Falls Police Department in 1991 after serving in as a policeman in the US Army for 11 years.
Rogers (pictured) became an officer of the department in 1991 after serving in as a policeman in the US Army for 11 years
He told the news site that he decided to retire so that he could spend more time with his family.
Rogers said being a police officer is a ‘young person’s game’ and it has become more difficult over the years given the negative publicity police often receive.
‘It’s not publicized as much when an officer does something really good,’ Rogers said.
‘We go through a lot of different training and do a lot of good. But that’s often ignored.’
Rogers, who is originally from Massachusetts, has held a variety of positions within the department including patrol officer, school resource officer and traffic officer.
He spent the last three years at Idaho Falls Airport with TSA officers.
‘All of the jobs were really enjoyable,’ Rogers said. ‘It’s always been nice being able to help somebody,’ he added.