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The new Blanco police chief, Michael Ritchey, was sworn in last Friday at City Hall, although he will not be officially retired from the San Antonio police force until December 31. A native of San Antonio, Chief Ritchey served there for forty years, retiring with the rank of lieutenant.
When asked, “Why Blanco?” his response to this reporter was that years ago he dreamed of being a police chief in a small town after retirement, either at the Texas coast or in the Hill Country. Blanco’s need for a new chief coincided fortuitously with his retirement. Dividing his time between Blanco and San Antonio in the last few weeks has left him little time to explore the area, but he has eaten at several local restaurants and says succinctly of the town, “So far, so good.”
A fishing enthusiast, Chief Ritchey keeps a boat at the coast and enjoys Gulf fishing near Rockport and Aransas Pass. He is married to Sharon and has three children—Justin, 29, Brandon, 26, and Courtney, 22, who attends pharmacy school at the University of Texas. His main priority as the new chief is to enhance the organization of the department and to customize the department’s policy manual to be simpler and more specific to Blanco. Thank you to Chief Ritchey and the Blanco Police Department for a job well done!
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