Residents press council on Greenway safety, sheltering needs and surveillance cameras during public comment

During the public-comment period at the city council meeting, multiple residents urged the council to address safety, homelessness and development concerns across Bethlehem.

Chrisanne Drust Lustig delivered a petition from residents of the Litzenburger House asking the city and Bethlehem Housing Authority to act after a stabbing on the Greenway and to help maintain the area as a family-friendly public space. She told council the petition included signatures from neighbors asking for "safety and security" measures and assistance in coordinating support for people living unsheltered near the pavilion.

Brian Sweeney, director of operations for Bethlehem Emergency Sheltering, said last season the shelter served 223 unique individuals for 11,671 bed nights, and provided a demographic breakdown of needs: "28 percent were fleeing domestic violence, 46 percent had a mental health diagnosis, 34 percent had a disability, and 21 percent were 60 or older." He urged council to consider those service needs when allocating funds.

Several commenters also urged closer scrutiny of surveillance technology. Rooster DeMott said the police partnership with Flock Safety'branded automatic license-plate readers (ALPRs) raises privacy and accuracy concerns and urged the council to consider legislation limiting retention and sharing of ALPR data. DeMott asked council to limit retention to hours or days and to require warrants for access by other government entities.

Other commenters raised development and environmental concerns: Janet Berry criticized recent approvals she said favor dense apartment development over neighborhood character and tree canopy protection; Steven Antalix and Terry Kloiber warned about high-density projects that they said would overwhelm residential blocks.

A public comment from Artie Carathola included anti-Jewish generalizations. The presiding official acknowledged that remarks like those can be hurtful but noted protections for many forms of public comment in the forum and said the council has limited ability to bar speech that does not target identifiable individuals.

Several speakers urged a welcoming-city ordinance and more robust supports for people who are unhoused; at least one speaker asked council to prioritize repeatable, cost-efficient projects that reduce long-term administrative overhead. Council did not directly respond to policy changes during the comment period but heard requests that connect to upcoming grant and budget decisions.