Partly cloudy skies. . A few clouds from time to time. Slight chance of a rain shower. Updated: July 11, 2024  11:50 am. . WFMZ.com Reporter. BETHLEHEM, Pa. During Tuesday night's meeting of Bethlehem City Council, Bethlehem Police Chief Michelle Kott and Mayor J. William Reynolds discussed department shortages. According to Kott, the police department down 10 officers. Reynolds said the issue relates to recruitment efforts and finding qualified applicants. For example, working in the suburbs might be preferable to working in a city. In particular, Reynolds said it is challenging to get qualified candidates to take the police tests, and there is competition among other local police departments to hire those who do make it through the process. "We've spent a lot of time thinking about, 'How do we increase the pool of candidates?'" Reynolds said. "That's the challenge that we're facing and the reason why we see vacancies," he said. . Reynolds also said the job of police officer is changing, setting up the city for more challenges, such as, "How do you design a police department in a way young people want to be a part of it?". "Council budgets the money for us to have..154 officers in there, but we're not getting above 145, 146, generally, because as soon as we hire 4, 5, 6 you get another couple to retire," Reynolds said. He said the administration is continuing to address the issue of attracting highquality recruits to the city. During Tuesday's meeting, several residents also discussed issues related to driving in the city specifically, drivers playing loud music and revving engines on Main Street. "It's terrible. It's ruining the whole vibrancy of the whole corridor of the restaurant rows between Main and Broad Street," said city Councilmember Bryan Callahan. Kott said motorcycle police officers catch some offenders, but not all. "We can't be everywhere at every time, but we try our best to enforce those violations," she said. Callahan suggested adopting a noise ordinance to protect the establishments on Main Street from losing customers due to noise. "It's an echo effect, almost like a canyon," Callahan said of Main Street. "It's not a good thing for our community and not a good thing for the businesses on Main and Broad streets," he added. Similarly, Kott discussed the upcoming July Fourth holiday and fireworks. According to Kott, Roman candles and bottle rockets are legal within the city but must be handled cautiously and subject to city regulations. For instance, Kott said they cannot be set off within 150 feet of an occupied or unoccupied structure. Kott also said a "full cadre" of officers will be on hand to catch violators. During the public comment portion of the meeting, regular speaker Arthur Curatola discussed the quality of City of Bethlehem water, alleging he had it tested and found it lacking. "I hate to say this to you, but the water in Bethlehem is not safe," Curatola said. Later, Callahan asked Department of Water and Sewer Resources Director Edward Boscola about the city water and its testing schedule. "It's tested hundreds, if not thousands, of times per year," Boscola said. Also, Callahan pointed out that the city has won "Best Municipal Water" from the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators AreaWide Optimization Program. The award, Boscola said, goes to "treatment plants for their consistent efforts in producing quality water over the full year.". "We've gotten the award 14 consecutive years," Boscola said. Bethlehem City Council voted Tuesday to settle a land dispute between the city and its namesake hotel. Bethlehem City Council voted Tuesday to settle a land dispute between the city and its namesake hotel. WFMZ.com Reporter. . . Get local Breaking News alerts sent directly to your inbox. Success!An email has been sent towith a link to confirm list signup. Error!There was an error processing your request. Watch all of WFMZTV News and Syndicated Programing 247 on your Streaming App enabled TV. Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers:. Get uptotheminute news sent straight to your device.
Bethlehem City Council discusses police department shortages during meeting. Chief Michelle Kott and Mayor Reynolds address recruitment challenges and competition for qualified candidates. The city struggles to fill officer vacancies and attract high-quality recruits. Residents raise concerns about noisy drivers on Main Street. Motorcycle police enforce violations, while suggestions for a noise ordinance are considered. Additionally, discussions on fireworks regulations, water quality, and a land dispute with a hotel take place during the meeting.