Longtime Lt. John Barnes retires from Gulfport Police Department

GULFPORT, Miss. (WXXV)- After more than 24 years of dedicated service, a longtime Gulfport police lieutenant retires this week.

John Barnes worked his way up to patrol sergeant in 2007, working his way up to the rank of lieutenant and officer in charge of the department’s strategic response unit.

Gulfport police leaders say that Barnes’ impact is not measured solely in his years with the department, but the officers he mentored, the standards he upheld, and the trust he has built in the community.