Hutchison, 53, started as a patrol officer on Sept. 13, 1984.

“It was one of the luckiest days of my life,” she said in a letter Monday to Town Manager David Andrews.

Hutchison served in multiple roles before she was named chief in 1998, including as an undercover narcotics investigator, juvenile officer and patrol sergeant. She is a 1981 graduate of Duke University with a bachelor’s degree in sociology and Spanish, and in 1990, she earned a master’s degree in public administration from UNC in 1990.

“Working as a Carrboro police officer has been, and remains, a distinct privilege,” she wrote in her retirement letter.

“I have had, and continue to have, the opportunity to work with talented, creative, ethical, and accomplished police officers and town staff. In addition, I honor and hold very dear the many experiences I have shared, and the relationships I have made, with community members,” she wrote.

Town staff is researching options for how to choose a new police chief. Hutchison said it’s too early to speculate, but there might be some Carrboro officers interested in applying for her job.

“Chief Hutchison is the hardest-working, most dedicated police chief I’ve ever known,” Andrews said. “Filling her position will be difficult, but replacing her will be impossible.”

Hutchison plans to enjoy more time relaxing with friends and her children, 17-year-old Riley and 14-year-old Avery. She said she might look for a job eventually but isn’t sure what she’ll be doing.