Bethlehem Township's police force is one officer short, but not as the result of illness or injury. At their Feb. 16 meeting, commissioners voted to terminate Officer Dan Barsnica. The vote was unanimous except for Pat Breslin, who was absent. Their vote followed an executive session. Commissioners declined to say what prompted their decision.

Barsnica has the right to seek an independent arbitration, which often goes in favor of the police officer. In Fountain Hill, for example, an arbitrator ordered the reinstatement of an officer who was caught on video roughing up a suspect, and then being deceptive. The borough had to pay the officer to resign.

Barsnica is a K-9 officer whose partner, a Belgian Malinois police dog named Castro, has wowed crowds for years during National Nights Out.

In other police news, Chief Dan Pancoast's monthly report for January shows that officers responded to 67 accidents involving 116 vehicles and 13 injuries. There were 127 traffic citations, 114 warnings and 29 parking tickets.

Sgt. Bill Blake initiated seven drug and prostitution investigations, although the state Bureau of Narcotics has taken over some matters that appear to include forgeries. There were 20 misdemeanor and felony arrests, three DUIs and 12 summary offenses filed.