BERWICK -- Berwick is looking to hire more police officers.
Currently, there are a dozen full-time police officers in Berwick and one part-timer. Now, borough officials plan to hire more.
"I think it's overdue. The town has definitely been having a lot going on for a little while now, so I think it's definitely overdue to get some officers here,” said Berwick resident Brandon Baltzer.
In recent weeks, police have been called to robberies, shootings, and other serious crimes in the borough.
"I think it would be a lot safer and a lot better,” said Nicky Pajovich of Berwick.
"Like if there's someone in the area, like quicker response and everything like that and that would definitely be better,” said Gary Winthrope of Berwick.
Business owners in Berwick seemed happy with the news.
"Being a business owner here in Berwick for over 90 years, we never had a security issue, but having more officers is definitely a deterrent, and we're excited about having more officers here in Berwick. I think it's a great thing,” said Jeffrey Cerminaro of Waler’s Jewelers.
Applications for the police officer positions were due Monday.
There is no word how long it will take to hire those officers or exactly how many officers the borough will hire.
"Hopefully it will take some of the burden off the ones who are currently on duty, who are overworking themselves quite a bit, maybe spread the hours around, make it easier so they're not getting so overwhelmed,” said Baltzer.
A Berwick official told Newswatch 16 there hasn't been a final decision yet about exactly how many officers to hire.