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Home > Blogs > West Chester News and Issues > Archives > 2008 > November > 06 > Entry
Union: No confidence in police chief
Members of the union representing the West Chester Police Department are trying to separate themselves from a controversy involving the department’s chief.
For more on the story and to view the letter, click “Continue…” below.
An investigation, launched in September, concluded police officer trainee Donald Gatliff, 27, of West Chester Twp., was not forthcoming to investigators about his criminal background and past drug usage, and that Police Chief Col. John Bruce (his uncle) advised him to do so.
Bruce was exonerated for any wrongdoing by the investigation and by trustees, who, as of this week, have not taken any formal action against him. Read the full story here.
The FOP Lodge 186 said in its letter sent Wednesday to West Chester Trustees that Bruce violated trust that is paramount in any police department. They also call into question Bruce’s ability to lead the department through the remaining two months of his contract with the township.
“We believe that through his actions he has demonstrated an inability to lead by example and has been rendered unable to enforce the code of conduct which we, as Police Officers, are sworn to follow,” the letter states. “Even more significantly, the chiefs actions could cause this Department to be questioned by the citizens whom we encounter hundreds of times a day. That is a situation which not only harms our community but could also impact the safety of our Officers.
“We strongly urge you to consider the issues we raise in this letter which resulted in the members’ Vote of No Confidence in the Chiefs ability to continue to lead this Department.”
Here’s the full letter. To enlarge, click on the upper right corner of the box. To exit and comment, click the ‘X’ in the upper right corner.
Thoughts?
Permalink | Comments (6) | Post your comment | Categories: Chief Search
Comments
By juneg
November 6, 2008 9:48 AM | Link to this
Pretty well sums up what the Township should do.
By watcher
November 6, 2008 10:12 AM | Link to this
Hate to say I told you so, but…..
By erin
November 6, 2008 10:18 AM | Link to this
OK Chief do the right thing.
By J Badge
November 6, 2008 8:43 PM | Link to this
Bruce will not do the “right” thing & resign. He is too arrogant and thinks he is above the law and needs only to follow his own ethics ! He can’t see that he has NO Ethics.Bruce you are DISGUSTING.Keeping records from people who you say dont need to know. Do you really think the public dosen’t need to know that a police officer has been involved in criminal activity. Please go away and leave a honorable profession that is for honorable people only !
By officerroy
November 7, 2008 6:58 AM | Link to this
Trustees show the bruces to the door,please and let the morale go back up in our department we are begging you…John and Denise needs to do the right thing and leave……now…
By Sharon
November 9, 2008 6:34 AM | Link to this
Sharon Stone sexy movie