Mayor Names Bethlehem's No. 2 Cop

Craig Finnerty, a 19-year veteran of the Bethlehem Police, a veteran patrol officer, SWAT team commander and former department weapons trainer, was named today as the new deputy commissioner of the department in a news conference at City Hall.

Lt. Finnerty, 41, of Lower Nazareth Township, will replace Deputy Commissioner Jason Schiffer who is also being promoted – to commissioner – when Stuart Bedics on July 7.

Most recently, Finnerty has led the department’s new professional standards division, which establishes department policy and directed its efforts to be re-accredited through the Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission and the national Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies.

In announcing his promotion, Mayor John Callahan called Finnerty a “cop’s cop.”

“He knows the work of a police officer from the ground up from his vast experience on patrol,” Callahan said.

Indeed, Finnerty began his career as a patrolman, and rose up through the ranks to command the 2nd Platoon in the department’s patrol division. Schiffer recalled that when he was promoted to 1st Platoon commander, he found himself trying to “emulate what Craig was trying to do.”

“I was consistently impressed with Craig’s ability to lead and to get the job done,” said Schiffer, noting that Finnerty has a “no-nonsense approach” and “the ability to lead officers in the field.”

Finnerty continued to impress seven months ago when he assumed leadership of the professional standards division, something “for which there was no model for him to follow,” Schiffer said.

“He took that team of sergeants and officers and did exactly what we were looking for,” Schiffer said.

“I am both honored and privileged to receive this position,” Finnerty said. “I appreciate the appointment. I do not intend to stop working very hard.”

Finnerty actually assumes the acting deputy commissioner’s role almost immediately, as Schiffer assumes the acting commissioner’s role.

Though Bedics is set to officially retire on July 7, his last day at work will be Wednesday, as he will then take his remaining vacation and personal days leading up to the retirement date.