BETHLEHEM, Pa. — The Bethlehem Police Department welcomed two new officers this week, a modest step forward for a force that has been operating well below its authorized strength.
Officer Wood, badge No. 534, and Officer Graaf, badge No. 535, were sworn in by Mayor J. William Reynolds earlier this week, the department announced Friday in a Facebook post. The department did not release the officers’ first names in the announcement.
The hires come as the department, authorized for 154 sworn officers, has struggled to fill its ranks. Chief Michelle Kott told City Council at a Nov. 20 budget hearing that the department had 16 vacancies, with 138 officers on the roster and only 127 available to work…