Bethlehem police invite public to comment on performance
As they go through the national re-accreditation process with the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Bethlehem police invite the public and city officials to comment on whether they feel the department complies with national standards.
An assessment team will take calls from the public 2-4 p.m.
Monday. Comments are limited to 10 minutes. The number to call is 610-865-1069.
CALEA is a national police accreditation agency which also provides guidance for departments in Canada and Mexico. It requires agencies to establish a framework for evaluating procedures and keeping arrest records, and requires officers to undergo bias and de-escalation training.
Bethlehem police Chief Mark DiLuzio said the commission mandates yearly reviews. And every three or four years, departments undergo a full reaccreditation process, which includes getting public comment.
A full list of CALEA standards is online.
Bethlehem Police Department has been accredited by CALEA since 2007. The department should have word on whether it satisfied the requirements by the end of the year, DiLuzio said. This review includes inspections of police headquarters and equipment, and an assessment of the department’s manpower.
There’s been more attention on the accreditation process as cities reexamine their police departments amid a national movement to make officers more accountable to the communities they serve. After the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis triggered worldwide outrage over another black man dying at the hands of police, activists in the Lehigh Valley and across the country called for releasing the disciplinary records of officers and defunding departments, among other reforms.
There are 14 agencies in Pennsylvania with CALEA certification and more than 800 agencies internationally. Bethlehem is the only local department to be accredited by CALEA, though Pennsylvania State Police, which patrols many Lehigh Valley communities, also has achieved the accreditation.