Apparently half of the full-time officers on the Lehighton Police Department are interested in being the chief.

During a meeting of Lehighton Borough Council, it was noted that four applications were received for the vacancy.The applications were open to present police officers, according to dialogue at last month's council meeting. The department presently has eight full-time officers.The borough has been without a chief of police since the borough council failed to renew the contract of former chief Matthew Bender on March 1, 2010.Bender served as police chief for four years. The council never stated why it didn't rename him police chief in 2010. The action by the council made him a patrolman, which he was before becoming the chief.Sergeant Joseph Lawrence was named officer-in-charge of the police department when it was announced Bender was no longer chief.The council said it will begin interviewing the applicants for the position. No date was announced when a new chief would be named.The council will also start the interviewing process for a new borough manager.Council President Grant Hunsicker said about eight applications were received, but there will be a "short list" established for interviews.The borough has been without a manager since September of last year when then manager John C. Wagner resigned.Wagner served as manager for nearly two years. He succeeded Lehighton resident John Hanosek, who had been manager for 16 years.