Michael Ritchey will leave his post as the Blanco police chief this month.

Ritchey, who accepted the position in December 2012, turned in his retirement papers last week. His last day on the job for the City of Blanco will be next week.

Laurie Cassidy, Blanco city secretary, said the city is accepting applications for the position through the Texas Municipal League website. If there will be an interim police chief, one has not yet been appointed.

Ritchey came to Blanco after spending more than 30 years with the San Antonio Police Department. He started as a patrolman, was promoted to detective, and then worked in vice and narcotics for about seven years, according to a post on the City of Blanco’s website. Ritchey was promoted to sergeant and then lieutenant and supervised a patrol shift. Before coming to Blanco, he spent 10 years in the SAPD’s vehicle crimes division.

Ritchey is a graduate of Texas State University (then Southwest Texas State University) with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. He also received a masters certificate with the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement and graduated from the FBI National Academy.