It’s August in 1980 and rookie Oak Harbor cop Sean Magorrian is on patrol.

He’s alone because the city’s population of about 9,000 doesn’t yet warrant more than a single officer on duty at a time. His bulletproof vest is hot and extremely heavy, as it is one of the earliest versions, and his car is devoid of electronics with the exception of a radio.

But none of that matters; he’s on his own and the shiny new badge he’s been dreaming about for years is finally hanging from his shirt. He doesn’t even mind that he’s behind the wheel of a Ford Fairmont, one of the department’s gutless patrol cars that packs nothing more under the hood than a wimpy 255 cubic inch engine.

Thirty years later, on his second to last day on the job, Magorrian is once again patrolling the same city streets. But this time he can’t help but marvel at how much things have changed, especially when thinking about the difference between that old patrol car with its two “jelly jar” lights on the roof and modern police vehicles, which virtually glitter with electronics.

“It was terrible,” he laughed. “You had to put the pedal to the floor just to get anywhere.”

Magorrian is hanging up his badge for good at the end of the month, putting to an end 30 years of public service in the Oak Harbor Police Department. It will be a sore loss, as Magorrian has had a long and distinguished career.

Starting out as a patrol officer, Magorrian worked his way up through the ranks to serve as a detective for seven years. In one of his more notable cases, he arrested members of an outlaw motorcycle gang that had over 70 pounds of marijuana in their possession.

In 1997, he took on a supervisory role as a sergeant. He became a department training officer, and has since trained many of the department’s officers. He is also highly trained in hostage negotiation, a skill set he put to good use several years ago when he successfully ended a standoff with a Coupeville man who was threatening to blow up his mobile home.

It’s no surprise that over the course of his career, Magorrian’s accomplishments, hard work and attention to detail have earned him both the respect and gratitude of his superiors and elected officials alike.

“Sean is a dedicated officer committed to the safety of our community and its citizens and he will be missed,” said Police Chief Rick Wallace, during a special ceremony honoring Magorrian before the City Council this month.

“You have been a key member of police department for so many years,” Mayor Jim Slowik echoed. “We’re really going to miss you.”

Public service can often be a thankless job, said Magorrian, and the recent recognition was nice. But he is ready for different things and has his sights set on the horizon, literally. Self described as a “plane fanatic,” Magorrian has his private pilot’s license and hopes to eventually earn his wings flying float planes for Kenmore Air.

But no matter where the future takes him, he said he’ll never forget his career in law enforcement or the community he served for so long.

“I’ve been honored to have this job and hopefully I’ve made a difference,” he said.