Police - About Us
The Township of Bethlehem is a First Class Township located in Northampton County, Pennsylvania which is approximately 60 miles north of the City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The Township is located in a geographical region known as the Lehigh Valley. The Lehigh Valley consists of suburban and rural areas of Lehigh and Northampton Counties and three moderately sized metropolitan areas of close proximity to each other, the Cities of Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton.
Bethlehem Township is a suburban area between the City of Bethlehem (to the west) and the City of Easton (to the east). It covers an area of approximately 14.7 square miles.
The Police Department consists of thirty five (35) full time sworn officers. The Departments rank structure consists of the Chief of Police, a Captain, three Sergeants, four Corporals, one Detective, two Investigators, 23 Patrolmen, two civilian school crossing guards, and one civilian support staff employee.
The Bethlehem Township Police Department serves a resident population of over 20,000, 10 places of worship, three high schools, four elementary schools, a vocational & technical school and a large on-campus and commuter student population at Northampton Community College.
The Police Department also serves a large business community which includes three large shopping malls, several strip malls, numerous bars & restaurants, two country clubs and the Lehigh Valley Industrial Parks IV & V which are located along the Route 22 corridor in the northwestern part of the Township and the Lehigh Valley Industrial Park VI which is located along the Route 33 corridor. The industrial parks contain huge warehouse, storage and manufacturing facilities for multiple nationwide businesses. It also contains the Lehigh Valley Post Office and the regional U.P.S. and FedEx shipping and distribution centers.
The Police Department also serves a very large transient population due to its location between the Cities of Bethlehem and Easton, its large business community and its proximity to major highway systems. Route 22 runs east and west through the northern section of the Township. Route 33 connects Interstate 78 (I-78) and US Route 22 (US 22) through the eastern end of the Township to Interstate 80 (I-80), the Poconos, New Jersey and New York.
The completion of the Route 33 Extension connected Interstate 78 to the Township and opened up a new corridor of growth and development. In addition to Lehigh Valley Industrial Park VI, the Southmont Shopping Mall and St. Luke's Hospital Anderson Campus were developed. An additional commercial and residential project, Madison Farms, is also undergoing development in the same area.
