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West Chester Twp. Police Chief Col. John Bruce has resigned from the township, nearly a month before his contract expires and less than two days before Trustees are expected to name his replacement.

Bruce, a 29-year veteran of the local force, notified township administrators that he would resign from his post effective Monday, Dec. 1.

Trustees have said they expect to name Bruce's replacement at their regular meeting Tuesday, Dec. 2. The decision would come following a nearly six-month-long search that included internal candidates only.

Captains Joel Herzog, 40, and David Kelly, 44, and Lt. Erik Niehaus, 37, are being considered to replace Bruce, whose contract will expire Dec. 31.

Bruce said Monday he will continue to be paid by the township until the end of the month.

He also said his early resignation has always been a part of the township's initial plan — that he would step aside once a new chief is chosen — and not a recent controversy that swirled around his hiring practices.

"This would have been the normal course had this one controversy not happened," Bruce said. "If none of that would have happened, this would still be occurring because I believe it's the right thing to do."

Bruce said Trustees "will fulfill all their obligations for my contract and I will fulfill my obligations not to impede the transition in the greatest police department in the nation."

Trustee Catherine Stoker, who, in her 15th year with the township held office throughout Bruce's nearly seven-year career as chief, said she agreed with his decision.

"That really was the best choice for him," Stoker said of his resignation. "We certainly with him well in all his future endeavors.

Bruce has expressed his support for two of the three candidates — Herzog and Kelly — because of their experience at the command level.

Bruce's final months of his contract have been mired in controversy after trustees launched an internal investigation in late September into his hiring practices.

The investigation stated the chief advised Donald Gatliff, 27, of West Chester Twp., — his nephew by marriage — to omit a history of drug use and crime and to not disclose on his application he was related to Bruce and Bruce's wife, Denise, who is the director of the township's communications and information technology department.

Gatliff turned in his resignation to trustees on Oct. 28.

Bruce has denied the allegations, saying he was always aware of Gatliff's background.

"Even through all the gossip, we have one of the finest police departments in the region if not the state, and one has to give Chief Bruce some if not all of the credit for that excellence."

Sgt. Mike Quinn, president of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 186, said he hopes Bruce's long career is not tarnished in his final months. Quinn said he and the local union are looking forward to the naming of Bruce's successor.

The FOP held a unanimous vote of "no confidence" in Bruce on Nov. 4.

"It kind of comes at a sad time because he's done a lot of good for this police department and this community, and we want people to know that," Quinn said. "We respect him and we respect what he's done.

"We look forward now to that new transition in our department. New ideas, that's what we're looking forward to right now."

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2112 or dgreber@coxohio.com.