97-Year-Old Texas Deputy Is the Oldest Working Law Enforcement Officer in the World

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Texas Sheriff’s Deputy Bill Hardin, known among his peers as the oldest working law enforcement officer in the world, still dons his uniform, badge, and gun at the age of 97.

Hardin, a World War II veteran, joined the Texas Fort Worth Police Department in 1947 at the age of 22. The legendary cop’s peace officer’s license has remained current ever since, and as of 2020, the deputy has amassed a grand total of 74 years on the job, reported Cleburne Times Review.

Hardin retired from Fort Worth in 1985 and embarked upon a second career with the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office before becoming a deputy for Johnson County. As of March 2020, Hardin still holds this position, showing up for work every single Thursday for administrative duties.

In honor of his loyal service, Hardin was recognized at the Chisholm Trail Museum in Cleburne, Texas, in March this year, with an exhibit chronicling his career, numerous achievements, and contributions to law enforcement. According to Cleburne Times Review, the exhibit acknowledged Hardin as being the “oldest working law enforcement officer in the world.”

The deputy’s years of service are represented in the gold stripes decorating the left arm of his uniform. “Each one of those stripes represents five years of service,” said Johnson County Historical Foundation Chairman David Murdoch. “That’s 70 years of stripes right there.”

Talking to the outlet in one previous interview, Hardin said that he decided to pursue law enforcement because one of his uncles was a fire chief in Breckinridge and another was a police officer.

“It was right after World War II,“ Hardin said, ”and there hadn’t been a lot of young men around to hire because they had all been at war.”

Hardin’s career inspired others in his family to pursue law enforcement, too: The deputy’s nephew served with the Arlington Police Department, and his late daughter worked as a dispatcher; his two brothers, Carl and Darrell, also served beside him at Fort Worth.

On the occasion of Hardin’s 96th birthday, Feb. 28, 2019, the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office paid tribute to their beloved colleague on Facebook, calling him the “oldest Law Man anywhere on the planet.”

In a video shared by the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, Hardin recalled an incident that happened years ago when he pulled over a man who ran a red light. Before he could give him a ticket, Hardin saw two children in the car’s backseat.

“They said, ”Daddy, are you going to get a ticket? That means we won’t get to get a hamburger,” Hardin said in the video, adding that instead of issuing a ticket he gave the driver a warning before he and his on-duty partner gave the man a dollar to buy some burgers.

“It’s things like that that make the job worth doing,” said Hardin.

Offering his best advice for anybody new to the law enforcement profession, Hardin said: “The first thing I'd do, have them be sure that they can see out of the backs of their heads. You know, you’ve gotta wonder what’s going on behind you.”

“When I went to work there was more or less a respect, more than now, for police officers,” the deputy said. “You didn’t have that much to worry about, but the way things are right now, I would say that you would have to be 100 percent alert at all times.”

For his over seven decades of service, Hardin has earned himself a legacy of love and respect from his local community. Speaking to CBS DFW, Hardin said he feels “pretty good for an old guy.”

“I’m going to keep going until the sheriff runs me off. If I can make it to 75, I may go ahead and retire,” the deputy said.