Crime & Safety
Memorial Gathering Honors Police Officers
Two-hundred people gathered at police memorial on north end of Fahy Bridge in Bethlehem to honor service and sacrifices of police officers in Bethlehem and nationwide.
A crowd of about 200 gathered at the north end of the Fahy Bridge at the Bethlehem Police memorial monument Saturday evening to honor the service and sacrifices of Bethlehem police officers as National Police Week came to a conclusion.
Numerous members of the were honored with letters of commendation and awards of merit for their work, along with members of the Lehigh University Police and Lehigh County Coroner Scott Grim, announced by Deputy Chief Craig Finnerty.
Chief of Police Jason Schiffer thanked all the members of the force for their dedication.
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“These are just the simple tasks that improve our everyday lives,” Schiffer said.
Mayor John Callahan said he appreciated the opportunity to commend “the high caliber of the men and women of the Bethlehem Police Department.”
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He added that the quality of a police department is an indicator of the community.
“You can't expect people to move here or visit here if they don't feel safe,” he said.
“To the family members who have lost a loved one, I want to say, thank you,” Callahan added.
Six Bethlehem police officers have been killed in the line of duty—George Shuman in 1907, Charles Lawrence in 1924, Charles Fenton in 1927, Harry Strauss in 1933, Phillip Fahy in 1969 and Daniel Rice in 1997.
Upper Saucon police officer David M. Petzold was 2006. A memorial fund was started in his honor.
The bridge adjacent to the police memorial linking the north end of the city with South Bethlehem is named in honor of Fahy, who was shot and killed while attempting to apprehend a suspect.
The grass field at Lehigh and Spring streets was named the Daniel E. Rice Memorial Plaza in Rice's honor. Rice was killed in a motor vehicle accident on Schoenersville Road while on duty.
“Let us remember, our freedom often comes at a terrible price,” said Rice's son, Jonathan Rice.
The memorial service named all 163 police officers who lost their lives in the line of duty nationally in 2011 and included a special mention of Freemansburg Police Officer Robert Lasso, who was killed on Aug. 11 of last year by George Hitcho Jr.
last week and awaits sentencing.
National Police Day, May 15, was first declared by President John F. Kennedy in 1962. Annually, National Police Week is the week that includes National Police Day.
Attendees of the event were treated to cake at the conclusion of the event.