BUNKER HILL, Ind. (AP) – A town council in Indiana is moving forward with hiring a new marshal after the former one and his four deputies all resigned in December, leaving the town without a police department.

Bunker Hill Town Council President Brock Speer says they’re considering three candidates after sifting through more than 50 applications for the permanent, part-time position. Speer says that after conducting interviews the council will likely appoint the new marshal in February.

Bunker Hill Clerk-Treasurer Andrea Newnum tells the Kokomo Tribune some applications for the job came from other states.

The council also will begin searching for a paid, part-time deputy for the department once the town’s 2016 budget is approved and expects to fill the position within the next three months. Previously, deputy jobs were unpaid volunteer positions.