Longest-Serving Female Highway Patrol Officer In Florida Signs Off With Final Message After 36 Years

Aug 07, 2019 by apost team

A majority of people will either choose a job in a field that will be lucrative or in an area about which they are passionate. Others select a career path based off of a problem that they believe can be fixed. These are truly special individuals who are always striving to make the world a better place for everyone.

Barbara Erhart is one of these unique individuals who found her path through a chance and unwelcomed encounter. WTVT reports that Ehrhart was only 21-years-old when she was pulled over for speeding in St. Petersburg on a local highway. It was Thanksgiving morning, and Erhart was blown away by the rudeness of the patrol officer:

"I got stopped on Thanksgiving morning for speeding by a trooper on I-275 in St. Pete. He was so rude and so mean. I thought to myself, I thought I could do something better than that. I could do that," Erhart explained in the interview.

Erhart thought that treating people with respect and dignity was a better way to handle these situations. She was dedicated to making the world a better place not by hope but by action.

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With this optimistic outlook, Erhart joined the police force and has been going strong for nearly 40 years. She has been successful in stopping criminals and has always treated people with respect and patience. She knows that everyone deserves these attitudes and sentiments from officers.

In an interview with WTVT about her 36 years at the force, Erhart has mentioned that she is always trying to make herself better. She has trained hundreds of officers over the years and always tells them to keep a positive attitude about nearly everything.

Today, it isn't uncommon to see a female officer. However, this wasn't the case 40 years ago. The police force was overwhelmingly comprised of male officers. Erhart was one of the first women to make this transition to where we are today with a higher representation of women in the police force.

Erhart recently signed off for the last time to signal her last day on the job. She is heading into retirement after 36 years of dedication and service with the police force. After being pulled over one day by a grumpy officer, she didn't complain or kick the can down the road.

She decided to take action and make the world a better place by starting within her community.

Watch her signing off for the last time in the video below:

She has shown citizens as well as other officers how much a little respect can do to the often-strained relationship between the police force and other people.

To learn more about her story, watch the video below:

Thank you for your service, officer Erhart! Do you anyone who also reserves praise for their bravery and hard work? Let us know in the comments and if you found this story inspiring, show it to a family member or friend.