History of The Police Department :

In September of 1965, due to activism from Bethlehem Township residents, a municipal police department was formed. At that time a retired Pennsylvania State Police Corporal, John E. Uditis, was hired as the department’s first Chief of Police.

It was the responsibility of Chief Uditis to hire and train one full time officer and five part time officers. The Department officially began serving the public on January 1, 1966 providing part time policing for the Township’s 16.5 square mile area and its approximate population of 7,000 residents.

Chief Uditis worked the day shift, Monday through Friday, from 7am until 3pm. Ronald L. Clause was hired as the department’s first full time Patrolman, working from 3pm until 11pm. He was also on call from his residence for emergency situations during the nighttime hours. Saturdays and Sundays were covered by part time officers.

Ronald Clause began his tour with Bethlehem Township Police Department on January 1, 1966 as the department’s first full time Patrolman. In 1973 he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant, briefly served as the Chief of Police from 1976-1977, and retired in the spring of 2000 after 34 years of active duty.

In 1970 Bethlehem Township Police began 24-hour patrols of the Township with its full and part time staff. At that time there were five full time officers who were supplemented by numerous part time and special police officers. By 1993, all the part time and special police had been abolished and the department is now fully staffed with professionally trained full time officers.

In 1977 Joseph K. Barner was appointed as Chief of Police and served our community until 1999 before retiring after his election to the office of District Justice for our area. Chief Barner was replaced as Chief of Police by Daniel G. Pancoast in December 1999 after Chief Pancoast had served more than 20 years with the department in the capacity of a Patrol Officer and then Corporal and Sergeant. He supervises a department staffed with 29 full time officers, two civilian administrative employees and three civilian school crossing guards serving a residential population of over 20,000. The Department consists of the Chief of Police, one Captain, three Sergeants, three Corporals, three Criminal Investigators and 19 Patrol Officers.

Special services provided by the Department include a K-9 dog program, Police Mountain Bike patrols, D.A.R.E./Community Police Programs, Every 15 Minutes Program, School Resource Officer, a Citizens Police Academy and the Regional Sobriety Checkpoint program.

Departmental growth will continue in 2005 with the proposed hiring of additional patrol officers and the creation of a motorcycle unit to assist with an ever-increasing volume of traffic.