Bethlehem Police Chief Mark DiLuzio released a report recently outlining his department’s many successes in recent years, beginning with what amounts to a 22 percent overall drop in crime from 2007-18.

The in-depth report details everything from the numbers of specific crimes, DUI stats, officer injuries and opioid strategies. It compares stats from recent years to show clear trends in community safety. For instance, from 2016 to 2018, total crimes fell from 5,605 to 5,384, and while it was marked by a 6 percent increase in Part II (minor) offenses such as drugs and assault, it is countered by a 24 percent decrease in Part I (serious) offenses such as murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault.

Bethlehem police, in conjunction with other agencies, the Special Operations/Vice division made 140 arrests in 2018 on various misdemeanor and felony charges, many as the result of search warrants obtained through undercover investigations. During the prosecution of these warrants police seized 16 firearms, over $91,000 in currency and vehicles, and a broad array of controlled substances from cocaine to heroin and fentanyl and many other prescription and synthetic drugs.

DiLuzio’s report also lauds the work of firefighters and EMS personnel in joining his officers in the opioid fight on the streets, specifically in the administration of Nalaxone to save overdose victims. Police saved 72 lives using such in 2018, 59 of which overdoses are suspected to have been caused by heroine or fentanyl, out of a total 165 lives saved. That number was 188 in 2017.

And the new Internet Crimes Against Children unit, a two-detective assignment which works as part of a larger national task force, issued about 20 subpoenas and search warrants each and made two state and two federal arrests in 2018. Over 30 phones and laptops were seized during investigations.

“This decrease in crime shows that the Community Oriented Policing style utilized by the Bethlehem Police Department is working in the city of Bethlehem,” DiLuzio said in his closing comments. “Proactive and preventive policing works. substations, specialized units, mounted patrols, beat cops, patrol officers interacting with the community, all create a highly visible presence on the street which deters crime.”

DiLuzio said new technologies are also playing a part in crime reduction and targeting career criminals, while the issue of communication of information to the community and citizens has surfaced as a very important concern. “Citizens today want to be better informed about crime and issues when they arise in their neighborhoods. In addressing this concern, the department will be updating the manner in which we deliver that information via social media. Citizens in 2019 will see a new BPD website, an updated Facebook page, and updated Twitter and Instagram pages. We will continue to utilize new technology and equipment, like body cameras and other digital tools, to improve the service we provide to the citizens of Bethlehem.

DiLuzio concluded, “In Bethlehem, we are listening and working with our community members. Partnering with citizens, community groups, merchants and businesses is extremely important in today’s society. Police cannot do the job alone. We need to work together as a community to solve our problems.

“This method of policing, as accomplished in Bethlehem, is proof that when police and the community work together, crimes, problems and issues can be solved, creating a better community in which we all live, work, play, raise a family and retire.”