The Bradford City Police Department has a new chief, leaving the position of assistant chief vacant.

Chief Mike Ward has been the only officer to hold the title of assistant chief, as the position was created in 2010 by then-Mayor Tom Riel. Now that he has been promoted, the question arises, what happens with his previous position?

When contacted Thursday, Mayor James McDonald stated, “There are no plans to immediately fill the position. That is a topic that Chief Ward and I will be discussing in the near future, though.”

Ward further explained that the department is governed by civil service guidelines on hiring for the assistant chief position, and certain tests are required before any promotion to fill that position can occur.

“I will be talking with Mayor McDonald about conducting testing for open positions,” Ward said Thursday afternoon.

Ward’s promotion to chief comes after months of filling in as Acting Chief. McDonald had previously announced during a City Council meeting that the new chief would only be named after thorough vetting through consultations with other departments in the area and perusal of personnel files to find the best officer for the job.

Ward has been with the Bradford City Police for 18 years. He has also served as an officer for Foster Township Police Department and for the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford.