Saline County Sheriff Cindi Mullins released a statement to KMMO News reflecting on her 30 years in law enforcement.

Mullins was appointed to be the county’s sheriff in February 2016, and was elected to the office later that same year. She was one of the first women elected to the position in the state of Missouri. In her statement, Mullins says any young woman looking enter law enforcement or run for office should learn as much as possible about the job, and don’t hesitate to ask questions and find mentors.

One of the accomplishments Mullins said she was proud of were the renovations done at the Saline County Jail. The project costed more than $3 million to update the facility. Mullins credits her staff and the county commission for making the process possible.

Mullins said the things she’ll remember most fondly from her law enforcement career are the people she’s met and worked with. She said that she’s “had the good fortune to make lifetime friendships and acquaintances with people I would have likely never met had I chosen another career.”

During the past few months, Mullins has been offering advice to Daniel Kirchhoff, who was elected to the position in November. She said Kirchhoff will make an outstanding sheriff and trusts that he’ll make the best decisions for the department. Kirchhoff and the other county officials elected in November will be sworn into office during a ceremony at 10 a.m. Tuesday, December 31.