Civil Service Commission Key to Nazareth Police Hires

It's the key ingredient.

If the Borough Council wants to build up the Nazareth Police Department with full-time police officers, there's only one way to do it.

And, for a while, nothing could be done.

Under state law, boroughs must have a Civil Service Commission in place to review the process of hiring full-time police officers. And while the borough is advertising for full-time officers, those hires couldn't be made unless the Civil Service Commission was fully staffed.

For months, Councilman Jack Herbst, who chairs the Police Committee, tried to explain to residents that candidates were needed to fill an open spot on the Civil Service Commission, a missing piece of the puzzle to resolving the borough's undermanned police department.

The borough is heading in that direction now.

At its July meeting, the Borough Council considered three applicants to fill the post: Zack Audenried, Korine Behler and Cliff Hess.

The council chose Audenried, the son of Councilman Christian Audenried and an unsuccessful candidate for school board in the May 21 primary election.