The country's oldest serving police officer is getting ready to hang up his hat, after 49 years of service.
Canterbury Highway patrol Sergeant Clem Edmonds, 74, began working for the Traffic Department in 1969 in Dunedin, after working for the railways and in the military.
A heart condition discovered last year has meant he's been forced into retirement, but he said age has never slowed him down.
"To me age wasn't a barrier, provided your health was ok. I just carried on regardless. I love it. I really do. Police are my family."
His role with highway patrol also led him to meet his second wife, Myra, after pulling her over for excess speed.
"I gave her a ticket actually! And I've been paying for it ever since," he said.
He said he's seen many changes in his decades with the police, the most dramatic being changes with alcohol legislation. The worst aspect, he said, was witnessing the aftermath of serious crashes.
"I've seen a few in my life. A lot of serious ones and fatal, the hard part is seeing young children involved. To me that's hurtful," he said.
Sergeant Edmonds last day will be in June.
SHARE ME