This Police Officer Signed Off After 25 Years, With His Dispatcher Daughter Taking His Last Call

Hope you have your tissues handy! After 25 years of service, Chattanooga Police Lt. Austin Garrett made his final call to dispatch before retiring, and his daughter, Haley Garrett, who is a dispatcher, was on the other end to take his final sign off.

This sweet moment will have you wiping away tears of joy — especially if you’ve got a soft spot for any kind of adorable father-daughter interaction. And honestly, who doesn’t?

The call was captured on video and shared on Facebook. Not only did the daughter take a moment to recognize her father’s years of service, but she also threw in an extra special, “I love you daddy” for the icing on the cake.

“You’ve been a mentor and great friend to many during your career. We all wish you well on your future endeavors. Thank you for your hard work and dedication. I love you daddy.”

Cue the sobs!

As his last bit of imparting wisdom as a lieutenant, he shared with dispatch:

“Twenty-five years of service, I’ll be out of service the final time,” he said. “Be careful, don’t forget who you are.”

But, before you get too sad, however, you’ll be happy to know that Lt. Garret won’t be retiring from law enforcement entirely. In fact, according to News Channel 9, he’ll be continuing on as the chief deputy for the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department. So, this is a bittersweet moment, for sure, but there are still big plans in the works for Chief Deputy Garret.

The Chattanooga Police Department also shared the video on Facebook, along with a send-off message to Lt. Garrett:

“The Chattanooga PD thanks Lt. Garrett for his dedication, leadership, and service and may the best of the past be the worst of his future.”

As sweet as this is, this certainly isn’t the first time a police department has rallied around one of its own.

For example, over 70 police officers showed up to escort Dakota Pitts to elementary school after his father, a police officer, was killed in the line of duty. Dakota’s aunt told WTHI TV that “blood” isn’t the only thing that makes a family.

“He will definitely know his dad was a hero,” she told the affiliate. “Blood doesn’t always make family and I think the blue family went above and beyond.”

It’s amazing to see police departments make moments like these special and memorable.

We have a feeling Lt. Garrett and his daughter will never forget his retirement, and thanks to the video, neither will we.