Walnutport has agreed to establish a police academy contract for a full-time cadet going to the police academy.

On a unanimous measure, borough council on Thursday approved the measure. The cost for the police academy is about $6,000.

The salary is to be established by borough council. The current new hire salary is $26.48 per hour.

Borough police Chief Jason Nothstein noted that the department was running out of time to have the full-time cadet attend the policy academy, as the deadline is January.

Council President Mike Gaston asked Nothstein when they would look to hire the employee, and emphasized he wanted to see the background history of an employee coming in.

Nothstein said it wouldn’t be until after the individual graduates from the police academy, which likely wouldn’t be until the summer.

Borough Mayor Wayne Weidner asked Gaston, “Can’t you trust us?”

Nothstein noted that the police department hires a third party agency to conduct full background checks on individuals.

“This is why I have a third party doing it,” Nothstein said. “So that it’s not prejudiced.”

Weidner assured Gaston that they wouldn’t present a candidate to borough council that they wouldn’t feel comfortable with recommending.

Gaston said the borough has had applicants in the past who have been rejected.

Councilwoman Patrice Hunsicker described what she believes to be a weakness.

“I feel what we lack here is we never do an exit interview,” Hunsicker said. “We need to find a better way to keep police (longer than a few months).”

Weidner explained that officers are either leaving to get a full-time job or a pay increase, and said they’d gladly do an exit interview.

“We have to up our salary because we’re just not getting (anybody),” Weidner said. “You have to increase the salary.”

Afterward, borough council unanimously agreed to advertise for a full-time police officer.

After the meeting, Nothstein said the police department currently has four full-time officers and one part-time officer.

Last month, borough council approved offering a full-time position to an applicant pending a background investigation and accepted the resignation of a part-time police officer.

Before that hiring vote, Gaston said he wanted to see the background scores.

In July, after discussion, borough council tabled establishing a police academy contract for a full-time cadet going to the police academy.

That came after borough council in June agreed to keep open to sponsor a full-time officer through the police academy, if needed.

In May, borough council hired Anthony Amari as a part-time officer at the rate of $29 an hour.

In March, borough council accepted the resignation of part-time officers Rebecca Barley and Paul Minnicks.

Council agreed in January to advertise for a full-time police officer after it accepted the resignation of full-time officer Luis Garcia, due to accepting employment at a different department, effective Dec. 31, 2025.

Also at that time, council agreed to make Aung “Alex” Tha’s official hire date as Dec. 10, 2025, the date of his graduation from the police academy.

Both Garcia and Tha were hired as full-time officers by borough council in April 2025, and started at an annual salary of $53,414 for 2025.

Nothstein, who in May 2025 was promoted to police chief, noted that last time the department had five full-time officers was back in 2001.