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Bethlehem launches joint police bike patrols with Lehigh, Sands

By Lynn Olanoff, Lehigh Valley Live, June 5, 2015

Bethlehem has launched a widespread police bicycling initiative in South Bethlehem that also involves Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem and Lehigh University bike officers.

City bike officers will patrol side-by-side with Lehigh bike officers in the South Side business district, the neighborhoods around campus and the South Bethlehem Greenway. Sands security bike officers will patrol the casino grounds and SteelStacks area, Bethlehem Police Chief Mark DiLuzio said.  "Foot patrols, bike patrols – getting people out of cars talking to people is what works in a community," he said.

Bethlehem has had police bike patrols on-and-off over the years but is committed to again having significant patrols, DiLuzio said. There also are bike cops on the north side, he said.

"These bike patrols will engage business owners and citizens, opening up new lines of communication and strengthening existing ones," Bethlehem Mayor Bob Donchez said.

Lehigh and Bethlehem in August announced a joint partnership for Lehigh to install $150,000 worth of additional surveillance cameras in off-campus neighborhoods. Lehigh interim President Kevin Clayton said working with the city to improve safety is very important to the university.

"Our collaborative efforts have far-reaching impacts in South Bethlehem," he said.  Since August, Lehigh has gone from having 70 to 82 surveillance cameras while Bethlehem has gone from 80 to 109 cameras, officials said.

The new bike patrol initiative is cost-free to the city, as the police department already has 19 bikes and 60 trained bicycle officers, officials said. Lehigh has 10 bikes and 12 trained bicycle officers.

The South Side community ambassadors also will take part in the bike patrol, including during the hours of 3 to 11 p.m., DiLuzio said. The joint Bethlehem-Lehigh patrols will have scattered shifts, ranging from early morning to late evening, he said.

In addition to combating any criminal activity, the bike officers also will tackle quality of life issues, including garbage, loitering and any other city ordinance violations, DiLuzio said.

Lehigh has had bike officers for eight years, including patrol shifts running until 3 a.m., Lehigh police Chief Ed Shupp said.

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