BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Bethlehem police are taking steps to expand their surveillance capabilities throughout the city.
Bethlehem received $200,000 from the Gun Violence Investigation and Prosecution Grant Program signed into law last year using American Rescue Plan Act funds. Police Chief Michelle Kott said it was a very competitive process.
- Bethlehem Police will upgrade their camera surveillance system throughout the city using a state grant from American Rescue Plan funds
- Police Chief Michelle Kott said data of gun violence incidents throughout the city were used to demonstrate to the state where upgrades would be needed
- Other municipalities, such as Allentown, are set to get large sums for law enforcement support and upgrades from similar grants
The money will go toward upgrading the city's existing camera system, which now has some cameras too antiquated to work with the city's updated surveillance network, Kott said. These cameras would go up on city owned poles or on preexisting PPL poles.
The official award notification letter was received about two weeks ago and was officially adopted into Bethlehem's city budget at City Council's meeting Tuesday.
The network recently was updated with funds from a Northampton County Grow NORCO grant and has been upgraded over the past two years, according to Kott.
Kott said the city applied by showing data of calls to the police about shots fired and incidents in which a firearm was used by a suspect from March 2021 to September 2022. It demonstrated areas where gun-related crimes are reported, and said it planned to upgrade or add camera systems to them.
"Being able to look at the data that we have, look and see where we have the most instances of violent crime, and then be able to use that grant funding to upgrade those cameras or add cameras if they're not in that area is going to be very, very beneficial," Kott said.
Cameras may deter crime, help investigations
Kott said deterrence is a factor — if a community knows cameras are up in a location, there may be hesitation to commit those types of crime.
In addition, Kott said cameras across the city are very helpful for the department's investigative capabilities — letting them to identify witnesses, vehicles and information about people at a scene.
"If individuals believe that they're going to be readily identified and caught because of technology that we have, hopefully, they will not commit crimes here in the city," Kott said. "But if they do commit crimes, that technology will help us readily identify that individual and successfully prosecute them."
Data presented for the grant show that for the March 2021 to September 2022 period, 60 of the 82 gun violence-related offenses reported remained open, while 22 were cleared, leading to a prosecution.
That means a gun violence clearance rate of just under 27% for the period, with 74 arrests being made for gun violence in the same period.
Kott said the city originally was announced to receive $350,000 through the grant, but that was reduced after the state further examined gun violence statistics.
Less violence, less money
The state Commission on Crime and Delinquency, which administered the grant, could have awarded Bethlehem a maximum of $10,000,000, based on its size.
"We don't have a lot of gun violence here in the city, so we're not going to receive as much funding as maybe another jurisdiction where that's one of their main incidents that they respond to," Kott said.
Kott said the number of cameras that will be added or replaced will be determined based on cost and where data shows they could be a benefit, to comply with grant conditions.
"If individuals believe that they're going to be readily identified and caught because of technology that we have, hopefully, they will not commit crimes here in the city"Michelle Kott, City of Bethlehem Chief of Police
Kott said the department awaits official award notification for the Local Law Enforcement Support Program grant, which she said is planned to go toward replacing body and car cameras for the department.
That grant was announced to be much larger, at $1,020,499.
Other policing grants incoming throughout the region
Many municipalities throughout the Lehigh Valley are set to get similar grants for law enforcement support and upgrades from the American Rescue Plan Funds, with the Allentown set to get $6.5 million if the initial announced values remain unchanged.
The state announced in December the following municipalities would get funds from the two grant programs:
Local Law Enforcement Support Program:
Lehigh County:
- Allentown, $5,000,000
- Catasauqua, $887,010
- Lehigh County Executive Office, $291,342
- Whitehall Township, $217,337
Northampton County:
- Bethlehem, $1,020,499
- Bushkill Township, $35,780
- Easton, $768,322
- Forks Township, $125,658
- Lehigh Township, $378,200
- Nazareth, $283,003
- Slate Belt Regional Police, $34,000
Gun Violence Investigation & Prosecution Program:
Lehigh County
- Allentown, $1,500,000
- Lehigh County Executive Office, $11,830
Northampton County
- Bethlehem, $350,000 (now $200,000)
- Easton, $131,868
But, as with Bethlehem, the final amount may differ from the initially announced amounts.
