Bethlehem Police outlines staffing shortfall, creates dedicated IT and analyst roles

Bethlehem Police Chief Cott presented the 2026 police budget to council and stressed a persistent staffing gap that has increased pressure on patrol and generated higher overtime. The department is authorized for 154 sworn officers; Cott said 138 officers are currently employed and only 127 are available for duty because 11 officers are temporarily unavailable (military deployment, long‑term sick leave, light duty, academy training).

Cott described the multi‑stage recruiting funnel — applications, physical fitness, written exam, polygraph and background investigation — and noted the gap between initial applicants and final hires. In recent cycles hundreds applied but only a handful completed all required steps and entered the force. Council members pressed for ways to improve recruitment and retention; the city’s HR and administration said they are running two hiring cycles per year and are offering outreach and mentorship to help candidates pass the fitness and written tests.

To reduce the non‑operational burden on sworn officers, the administration and union agreed to convert two vacant sworn positions into civilian roles: a dedicated police IT technician and an intelligence analyst. The IT position, Cott said, will provide 24/7 technical readiness for computer‑aided dispatch, report management systems, body‑worn cameras and in‑car systems and will strengthen cybersecurity. The intelligence analyst will collate crime trends and provide actionable analysis for investigations and resource deployment.

Chief Cott said the department remains focused on recruitment, community policing programs and officer wellness while balancing operations with limited staffing. He told council that available vacancy savings will be reviewed for high‑impact, one‑time investments in the department and that a memo on use of current vacancy dollars is expected through the finance committee.