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Bethel Park Police present officer-of-the-year awards; department posts solicitor permits online
Summary
The police department honored three officers at the council meeting and said it will begin publishing approved solicitor permits on social media; Chief Arnold also gave Valentine’s Day safety tips to guard against online romance scams.
Chief Arnold presented the department's annual officer-of-the-year awards and thanked the Bethel Park Meritorious Award Association and department staff for organizing the event.
"In third place, we have Officer Amber DeFranco," Chief Arnold said, describing her as a two-year department veteran now assigned as a community resource officer. He named Jorge Zarate as the second-place winner and Ross Small as the first-place awardee, praising their service on busy shifts.
The chief also offered tips ahead of Valentine's Day to protect residents from romantic and online scams: refrain from sharing too much personal information, use reputable dating sites, do reverse-image searches on profile photos, beware tactics to isolate people from friends and family, and never send money, cryptocurrency or gift cards to someone known only online.
On solicitation, Chief Arnold said the department will begin posting approved solicitor permits on its social media channels so residents can confirm which solicitors are currently permitted. He added that religious, political and charitable groups are exempt from the permit requirement and encouraged residents on the police department's no-knock list to call (412) 833-2000 if a solicitor contacts them.
The chief delivered the report as part of the council's public-safety updates; several related equipment purchases and the crossing-guard salary agreement were approved later in the meeting by unanimous vote.
