BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Down from its full complement of 154, Bethlehem Police Department currently has 14 vacant officer positions, Chief Michelle Kott told City Council on Tuesday.
And factoring in some officers away on long-term injury or military leave puts the department total in “the high 130s,” Kott said.
“The applicant pool is no longer a pool — it’s actually a puddle,” Kott said of the regional employment outlook for new officers.
“We're doing the best we can to attract people to come to our police department, to come to our city, to serve and we're going to continue to do that to try to get the best qualified, diverse candidates to serve in our police department.”
“The applicant pool is no longer a pool — it’s actually a puddle."Bethlehem Police Chief Michelle Kott
Kott said she knew of at least two officers within the past decade who had worked with the department for at least that length of time, who have left for higher-paying jobs.
On Oct. 2, Bethlehem honored the installment of three new police officers and seven internal promotions.
Just before Christmas 2023, Lt. Gov. Austin Davis was in town to announce $75,000 from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency would allow for $5,000 bonuses to recruit 15 officers to the Bethlehem ranks. Allentown got $200,000 to hire 40 new officers of its own.
Davis, who serves as the PCCD chairman, at the time described police department staffing shortages around the state as a “crisis.”
Budget, union talks on the horizon
The city and Bethlehem Fraternal Order of Police Star Lodge No. 20, which represents the interests of the department’s officers, will move to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement next year.
The current three-year arrangement is set to expire at the end of December 2026.
“The facilities, additional trainings, the ability to really create a well-rounded officer that has a community-first approach to policing. We’re here; we’re all ears. Please let us know."Bethlehem City Councilwoman Rachel Leon to Bethlehem Police Chief Michelle Kott
Councilwoman Rachel Leon said to Kott, “The facilities, additional trainings, the ability to really create a well-rounded officer that has a community-first approach to policing.”
“We’re here; we’re all ears. Please let us know,” she said.
“Most of our officers, the overwhelming percentage of them, once they start here, then they remain here,” Councilman Bryan Callahan told Kott.
“Correct,” Kott replied.
Competitive regionally
Regarding Easton Police’s newest collective bargaining agreement and a mention of its new salaries, City Business Administrator Eric Evans said officials are “very aware of that contract, what that looks like.”
“It’ll be part of a very large, complicated negotiation that will take probably most of the year to get through,” Evans said.
Starting salary for Bethlehem officers is $69,870, with annual longevity payments, pension, tuition reimbursement and more at hand.
“We need to pay our officers decently so that they can do some other things, like giving more attention to reckless driving."Bethlehem resident Bill Scheirer
In Easton, a probationary officer's annual pay would be $57,205.43. A first-year officer would be paid $70,638.43.
Allentown’s initial patrol officer salary appears to be about $70,000.
“We need to pay our officers decently so that they can do some other things, like giving more attention to reckless driving,” resident Bill Scheirer said.
The 2023 Bethlehem municipal budget allotted more than a half-million dollars for police salary increases — a 3% boost per officer.
Bethlehem Mayor J. William Reynolds’ budget address, during which the public gets an initial look at the administration’s potential new-year funding outlook, is set for 8 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 30, at Moravian University’s Foy Hall.
