Lansford’s top cop is calling it quits.

Kyle Woodward, who came on as police chief last year after a near two-year vacancy in the position, submitted his resignation effective March 31.

“This decision has not been made lightly, and it comes after much reflection and consideration,” he said in a letter penned to the borough’s mayor and council dated Monday. “I am grateful for the experiences and relationships I have built.

“However, due to personal and professional reasons, I have decided that it is time for a new path,” Woodward wrote. “I am confident that this change is in the best interest of both myself and the police department.”

Woodward, a 21-year veteran of the Baltimore County Police Department in Maryland and a Tamaqua native, told the Times News that he is leaving for another job opportunity.

In his resignation, he shared a guide for the department going into the new year and into the future with a new police chief, officer retention and also a look back at what has been in accomplished during his tenure.

Lansford Mayor Hugh Vrablic wished Woodward well, saying that he accomplished some good things in the short time he was with the borough.

But Vrablic wasn’t surprised to see him leave, citing continuing conflict with borough council. He was surprised Woodard stayed as long as he did.

“You can’t keep hitting your head against council,” the mayor said. “It gets frustrating. I don’t blame him.”

Vrablic suggested this might be a good time to look at police regionalization with Lansford’s neighboring communities, Summit Hill, Nesquehoning and Coaldale, which just had a police exodus and is rebuilding.

Woodward’s departure will leave the borough with two full-time officers and four part-time officers, the mayor said.

Councilwoman Jennifer Staines was saddened by Woodward’s resignation.

“I very much enjoyed my interactions with Kyle,” he said. “He will be missed. He is very professional and top notch.”

Councilwoman Michele Bartek, who heads the public safety committee, was also sad to see him leave, but believed he must do what is best for him.

“It was an honor working with Kyle and I hope he has every success in his future endeavors,” she said.

The borough will be seating new members on its Civil Service Commission this week, Bartek said, and expects the board to reorganize and resume testing new police candidates.

Bartek also expects the borough to hire another officer this week. She believes council will re-advertise for a police chief immediately.

Council President Bruce Markovich said council will act on Woodward’s resignation at its meeting on Wednesday and decide whether to advertise for a new chief with the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association again.

The borough contracted with the association to conduct a search in July 2023, which led to Woodward’s hiring. The position had been vacant since the retirement of former Police Chief Jack Soberick in May 2022.

Markovich said that Woodward did not have the support of the borough’s mayor, who oversees the police department, from the start to make changes that he needed to make.

Vrablic said that he and Woodward worked well together over the last eight or nine months, after getting to know each other.

“We worked well together. We talked to each other a lot,” he said.

Vrablic had supported hiring Sgt. Shawn Nunemacher, who had served as the borough’s officer in charge, as the next police chief when council moved to open the search back in 2023.

The mayor was not optimistic about council filling the position quickly, and expected the process to take six months or a year.

The last chief search using the state police chiefs’ association took about six months.