A couple of Palmerton's police officers have moved up in the ranks.

In recent months, Kevin Buck was appointed to the position of detective, and last week, Christopher Ritter became the department's new sergeant. His first day in the new position was Monday."It's going to take a little getting used to," Ritter said. "I'm grateful for the opportunity."Mayor Christopher Olivia said he and "the borough council are very proud of officer Buck and Sgt. Ritter. We plan on giving them our full support."Ritter said the sergeant and detective positions were created to enable the police department to grow and advance. His position provides another layer of supervision to the department. When the chief is off, Ritter is there to guide the police force."It's been a long road," he said. "This is something I've always aspired to."Ritter has been with the department for 13 years and was made sergeant upon completion of additional training. But his life in law enforcement started many years before he was an officer."I've been around police work all of my life," Ritter said. "My dad graduated from the academy when I was 1."His dad went on to become a state police officer, something Ritter is honored to say about his father.As far as if Ritter will ever want to take on the responsibility of police chief, maybe someday, he said, "but right now, I want to be a good sergeant first."Buck, on the other hand, said, "No, thank you." Being a detective is right where he wants to be."This is something I've always wanted to do," Buck said. "I enjoy looking into things, trying to figure them out.""He's done a great job for us," Olivia said. "He has solved a number of cases."Buck has been with the Palmerton Police Department for 12 years, two of those years were as a part-time officer. As a detective, he is responsible for following up on major crimes and investigating them deeper.Although being chief isn't on his radar, Buck and Ritter do have another thing in common. He also grew up with police work in the family. Buck's grandfather, Harold Stephens, was a police officer in Allentown for 30 years."I always enjoyed hearing his stories," he said.His grandfather told him stories about the other officers - the brotherhood. It was this "constant camaraderie of being with the guys" that stands out in his memories of his grandfather's stories. It is something he has found in the police department in Palmerton."I enjoy the people I work with," Buck said. "Everyone is always willing to do anything they can to assist you in any way."