Lansford Borough continues to search for a new police chief with a second round of interviews held last Monday.

Council President Bruce Markovich said that a new chief will be hired at a special meeting in December. The borough has been without a police chief since the retirement of Jack Soberick in May 2022.

Council scheduled an executive session for Dec. 5 to discuss terms of a contract for a new chief, reviewing candidates for the job, and possibly picking a leading candidate.

“We are following the process laid out by our labor attorney,” Markovich said.

The police chief is excluded from the union contract with the police department, and language giving union members the same benefits as a chief was removed in the current four-year pact.

“This basically gives us a blank paper to rework a new chief contract on,” Markovich said.

Five people applied for the job and went through two rounds on interviews - one in October with the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association, which the borough contracted with to conduct the search, and another Nov. 20 with borough council.

One applicant, Kevin Soberick, withdrew his name from consideration the day after the second interviews were conducted. He is the brother of retired chief, Jack Soberick, who is a county detective and incoming councilman.

“It has become increasingly apparent, particularly since the submission of my application and more so in the recent weeks following the interviews that assuming the role of Chief of Police would likely generate additional controversy within the municipality,” he wrote in an email to borough council.

“The installation of a new chief should be a positive step, not shadowed with threats, controversy, and the implications of infighting between the office of the police chief and elected officials,” he wrote. “The department, and most importantly, the residents of the town, deserve better.”

Kevin Soberick said he entered the process with the best intentions and a desire to make a difference in the department and borough.

“Unfortunately, it seems that agendas take precedence over the betterment of the community,” he wrote.

The borough began its search for a chief this year after an online petition garnered more than 130 signatures to name Lansford police Sgt. Shawn Nunemacher as chief surfaced in June.

Nunemacher, who has been serving as the borough’s officer in charge, was also endorsed by the Lansford’s mayor, Hugh Vrablic.

Nunemacher is one of the candidates for the chief’s position.

Both Vrablic and Nunemacher claimed that he was not treated fairly in the interview process, as the sergeant was on vacation with family in Florida when the first round of interviews were conducted.