Salisbury Police Department Capt. Cheryl Rantz is all smiles after a retirement celebration for her last day Friday, after 30 years with SPD.

As she ended her career with the Salisbury Police Department, Capt. Cheryl Rantz signed off saying, “I’ve had 30 years. It’s been a pleasure … brothers and sisters stay safe.”

She walked out of the police station with arms raised, forefingers pointed skyward, and was met by friends carrying bouquets of flowers and officers who saluted her.

Police Chief Barbara Duncan stood talking to her and the media before taking a step back, snapping a salute, then embracing Rantz, who she praised.

“I have a tremendous amount of respect for anyone who can successfully complete 30 years of service in this industry and do it in a way that keeps up with the evolution of the industry. She has been responsible for the day-to-day operations and oversight of the patrol function,” Duncan told the Salisbury Independent this week.

“All four of the patrol squads report to her and the bike unit also reports to her. She details assignments to them. She follows up on reports, conducts internal affairs investigations. She was responsible for long-term personnel management planning if we had military leave, maternity or paternity leave, training. She was responsible for making sure personnel under her command, all the squads, were staffed appropriately to meet the needs of the people we serve on the street,” Duncan said.

“It’s one thing to complete a career. Everybody lauds that. But it’s another thing to make sure you pull other people along. She did that. She made sure that her subordinating supervisors and the staff under her were fully equipped and ready to move forward after she left,” the chief said.

Rantz’s husband, Deputy Jeff Rantz of the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office, hosted a retirement party after her work departure on Friday.

“That was where both of her families, her blue and her blood, came together to honor her and her 30 years of service. It was very nice, well attended. There were a lot of testimonials. It was a really nice final get together,” Duncan said.

Rantz couldn’t be reached for comment, but Duncan said in the police department she was known as Mama Rantz, for being nurturing while holding employees accountable.

A graduate of Wicomico High School, Rantz also attended Wor-Wic Community College and studied behavioral psychology at Wilmington College.

Mayor Jake Day, posting congratulations on Facebook, wrote, “If you didn’t have the pleasure to work with or be served by CPT Cheryl Rantz directly during her 30 years with the city, you were no doubt served by one of the officers under her command. You will be missed, Cheryl.”

Howard Bowden wrote that her retirement is well deserved and, “You are one of the people I admired and respected for the way you conducted business.”

“My work Mom,” Zach Converse wrote. “Thanks for all you did for me.”