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The police chief who signed off on Chris Brown's alleged community service has resigned.

Bryan Norwood, Chief of the PD in Richmond, Virginia, was intimately involved in certifying Brown's community service hours -- hours the L.A. County D.A. claims were never performed. Norwood was instrumental in removing Brown's case from the Richmond Probation Dept. and placing it squarely in his hands. Norwood also wrote a letter to the court vouching for Chris ... claiming all of his community service had been performed.

The Mayor of Richmond says his office and the Chief reached a "mutual agreement" for his resignation.

There had been speculation for weeks the Chief might have resigned to get a similar job in Raleigh, North Carolina, but the buzz in Richmond is that the Brown scandal accelerated his decision.

The judge in Brown's Rihanna beating case wants Brown to verify his hours. If he can't, he's in big trouble and his probation could be violated.