Lansford’s mayor believes the interview process for the borough police chief wasn’t handled fairly, and wants a candidate re-interviewed.

Hugh Vrablic this week asked the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association, which the borough hired to handle the police chief search, to halt the process.

“One of the interviews had been conducted with the presence of office staff and a council member via speakerphone or telephone,” he wrote in an email to the association. “The general public may have been walking in and out of the office overhearing the interview.

“There MUST be equality in the interviewing process including privacy for the applicant and the interviewer,” Vrablic wrote.

The mayor said he received no response from the association.

The candidate in question is the borough’s officer in charge, Shawn Nunemacher, who was on a family vacation in Florida when interviews were scheduled.

Nunemacher had requested a different interview date, but was told that was not possible. He then made arrangements to be available for a Zoom call the morning of the interviews, which were Oct. 20.

That interview did not happen via Zoom, he said, and instead was interviewed via phone on speaker in front of other employees.

Nunemacher did not believe he was treated fairly, and was not given a clear reason why the interview wasn’t done by Zoom. He said he made sure that he was available with Internet service for the call, and believes the problem was on the borough’s end.

“I guess they didn’t have service,” he said. “I didn’t get a clarification.”

Prior to the interview, Nunemacher said he wished that he would have had the same opportunity to interview as the other candidates. At least one councilman, Martin Ditsky, disagreed with Nunemacher having to interview via Zoom.

Given no response from the association, Vrablic said he is consulting with attorneys to see what steps he can take as mayor on behalf of the officer.

Nunemacher said he is also retaining legal counsel to take action against the borough for unfair hiring practices.

“It’s got to be fair and open to everyone,” he said.

Gregory Bean, consulting services coordinator for the state Chiefs of Police Association, in an email referred all questions regarding the process to the association’s employer, Lansford Borough Council, “which doesn’t include the Mayor.”

Council President Bruce Markovich said Nunemacher agreed to the phone interview with the chief’s association, and given the questions ahead of time same as other candidates.

The interviews were open to all members of council, who could listen but not comment, he said.

“(Nunemacher) was told where they were conducting his interview, he did not raise any objections prior to his interview or request any alternative process,” Markovich said.

“The chiefs could have very easily said, ‘Your interview is here and only here.’ They did not have to accommodate him in any other way,” Markovich said. “I fail to see how any of these items being raised changes his answers to the questions.”

Markovich said the chiefs association spoke to their attorneys regarding the threats from Nunemacher and the mayor.

“Their law firm is confident there is no basis for any legal actions,” Markovich said. “Despite their threats, we are moving forward with the process.”

Vrablic noted he has been excluded from the interview process, despite overseeing the police department as part of his duties.

Although the mayor cannot hire or fire police officers, he does have a vote should there be a tie on council in all decisions, including the hiring of a police chief, he said.