Lansford Police Chief Jack Soberick is retiring from the department after six years in the position.

Soberick, whose last day will be Saturday, said it is the right time to let the other members of the department leave their mark.

“You just know inside, when the time is right,” he said.

Soberick has been a full-time officer with the borough since 1996. He worked part-time for the department for 10 years prior to that.

In 2014, he became the department’s officer in charge. Two years later, the borough added the official title of chief.

During his time as chief, Soberick used the department Facebook page to notify residents about everything from snow removal to standoffs. He said being accessible to residents was important.

“I hope things will continue to move in that direction,” he said.

The department took some proactive measures to prevent crime such as coffee with a cop and code enforcement patrols.

Those efforts have become more difficult due to a shortage of police officers affecting many smaller departments. Soberick once oversaw seven full-time officers. There are currently four, and the borough can’t find applicants to fill open positions.

Officers have left for larger departments that can pay more. Police academies have fewer graduates than they did a decade ago.

“I’m proud of the guys that work there. It’s not a reflection on them, or council,” Soberick said.

Some municipalities have discussed regional police as a solution to the problem. Soberick said Lansford should look at that approach.

Soberick was recently hired as a part-time investigator with the Carbon County District Attorney. He will also continue to serve as the borough’s emergency management coordinator.

He said that a lot has changed since he started as an officer in the 1980s, and he wanted to retire from the department while he can still do the job of chief effectively.

But he said it will still be very difficult to lose the interaction with residents, officers and other agencies.

“It was a pleasure to do the job. You felt good when you were out there doing it,” he said.