Richland police chief is out after less than 3 years with the city
Richland’s police chief has resigned after less than three years with the agency.
Chief John W. Bruce was hired and began in June 2019 after the city’s former chief took a job as police chief in Eugene, Ore.
Bruce told the Tri-City Herald that his resignation is effective Friday, Jan. 28. He declined to say why he was leaving.
He said he didn’t have any other jobs lined up and wasn’t sure if he’d be remaining in Richland.
Bruce confirmed his pending departure shortly after he submitted a letter of resignation to City Manager Jon Amundson on Tuesday morning.
Bruce has more than 32 years of law enforcement experience, most recently leading the Frisco, Texas, police force before moving to Richland.
Richland officials said in a news release Tuesday that the city will launch a recruitment effort, with plans to be announced in the coming months.
Deputy Police Chief Brigit Clary has been named the interim chief.
She was a commander with the department when she was promoted to deputy chief in November 2021.
Her husband John Clary served briefly as the Benton County undersheriff under former sheriff Jerry Hatcher, and is now the new chief of the Toppenish Police Department.
In Texas, Bruce was named chief in January 2013 and led a police department of 215 officers and 115 civilians. He had worked for that agency since 1996.
At the time he was hired, Richland had about 65 commissioned officers and 17 civilian staff.
“His understanding of police leadership and community engagement, coupled with his proven track record, will be important assets for our city for years to come,” then-City Manager Cindy Reents said in 2019.
Bruce was picked in a nationwide recruitment effort after a second round of interviewing finalists.
He was criticized by Richland residents last summer for hiring an officer who had been fired from the Seattle Police Department for violating department policies in a 2017 shooting that left two people wounded.
Bruce told the Herald at the time that he was satisfied with his decision. He said everyone has made mistakes, and officers are often put into situations where they only have seconds to react.
The move is only the latest shake up at the department in recent months. Richland Police Capt. Drew Florence left the department in September about a year after his promotion. He had been with the department since 2012.
The department also recently hired former Benton County sheriff’s Commander Jon Schwarder to take over the department’s support services division.
The department also promoted Darryl Judge to the other commander post to oversee the operations division.
Richland response
“We thank Chief Bruce for the leadership and goodwill he brought to our community,” Richland Mayor Michael Alvarez said in a news release. “We wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors. We have appreciated his commitment to national public safety standards.”
The city’s release described Bruce as playing an integral role in helping Richland navigate through the community’s COVID-19 response efforts.
He also was credited with implementing key organizational structure changes among command staff and assisting with the update of departmental policies stemming from recent legislative amendments.
“I am grateful for Chief Bruce’s service to our organization and am especially appreciative of the role he has played in helping us respond to COVID-19,” said Amundson, who replaced Reents last year after her own departure. “I am confident in Deputy Chief Clary’s ability to guide the department through the next chapter.”
“The Richland Police Department is committed to trying new approaches to law enforcement,” he added. “I know our staff looks forward to identifying strategies to not only maintain the safety of our community but increase engagement with citizens.”
The city said it would not be releasing any further details about the chief’s sudden resignation.
This story was originally published January 25, 2022 at 11:33 AM.