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Bethlehem Police outlines staffing shortfall, creates dedicated IT and analyst roles
Summary
Chief Cott told council the department is authorized for 154 officers but has 16 vacancies and 11 unavailable for duty; leadership converted two vacant sworn slots into a dedicated police IT technician and an intelligence analyst to reduce officers’ non‑police workload and improve operations.
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…
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