Crime & Safety
Bethlehem Police Chief to Retire
Police Chief Jason Schiffer will step down in late August, be replaced by Deputy Chief Craig Finnerty.
Bethlehem's police chief will retire at the end of the summer after 20 years on the force, Mayor John Callahan said Tuesday.
Callahan said Chief Jason Schiffer had submitted a letter of intent to retire, setting his departure date for late August.
Deputy Chief Craig Finnerty will move into Schiffer's job, and the city will try to fill Schiffer's job from within the department.
“The Bethlehem Police Department is one of the best police organizations in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and that is a tribute to Jason’s untiring efforts," Callahan said in a news release, praising Schiffer for overseeing a drop in the city's crime rate.
The mayor also credited Schiffer with "moving Bethlehem in to a modern era of public transparency, accountability, and partnership with the community" by using social media.
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The release noted the department had recently gotten state and national reaccreditation from the Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission and the Commission on Law Enforcement Accreditation.
In their remarks, the PLEAC members wrote that Bethlehem's police " sets an example that should be emulated by law enforcement agencies throughout the country."
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