CAMP POINT, ILL. -- A police chief in Western Illinois plans to retire after serving as an officer for almost four decades.
Dave Lantz is ready to take off his badge and move into civilian life after serving the public in Adams and Brown Counties.
For the past 37 years, Dave Lantz has walked into the Camp Point Village Hall almost everyday. For many of those years, Lantz served as both police chief and city administrator.
But after March 26th, Lantz will not head to city hall on a daily basis - and he says he'll miss it.
"Right, usually when we're called, someone has got a problem and it makes you feel good when you're able to help them. That's not always the case - sometimes it turns out to be not a pleasant experience. That's probably going to be what I miss the most, is just dealing with the public on a day-to-day basis," Lantz said.
Lantz started his police career back in 1976. For a few years, he worked in Brown County.
In 1989, Lantz moved just a few miles down the highway and became chief in Camp Point. He said being a chief in a small town can have some advantages.
"I had a run in with a 16 year old and I just took him to his dad to take care of it and now that I've come to Camp Point, now this 16 year old is an adult and every time I see him, he's thanking me for the way I handled it 20 years ago. So it is kind of neat that you are, in fact, dealing with generation to generation and over that many years you're dealing with the same families a lot of times," Lantz said.
Lantz also said he always will remember being at Quincy Regional Airport when Air Force One touched down carrying the President of the United States. He also will not forget helping clean up Camp Point following the wind storm a couple of years ago. While his career in police work has been rewarding, Lantz says he's looking forward to retirement.
It's not known at this time who or when a new chief will be named to replace Lantz.
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