With the announcement by Sheriff Ronald W. Rossi he would not seek re-election, two candidates stepped forward seeking the job he has held since 1992,

Allentown Police Sgt. Ed Zucal, a Democrat, is a 24-year veteran of the Allentown Police Department and a 21-year veteran with the Lehigh County Coroner’s Office and Forensics Center.

Zucal, a sergeant in charge of the department’s traffic division, is the department’s hit and run investigator.

Joe Hanna, a Republican, is a detective with the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office.

A former Allentown chief of police, he was responsible for overall command of a 216-member police department, the third largest police department in Pennsylvania.

The Press asked each candidate the following question: What will be your first order of business if elected to office?

Ed Zucal

My first order of business will be to meet with the upper brass in the office.

I will concentrate on learning the various duties of each of the individuals within the office.

As stated in my original plan, I will meet with each and every employee within the office. I will be asking them to provide me with ideas they think could change or improve the office for the better.

I will stress the importance we will be a team and we will work together to make it the best sheriff’s office in the country - place where everyone will want to come to work and give 100 percent.

Joe Hanna

I will conduct an overall assessment of operations to include personnel duties and deployment, resource allocation, and safety measures and make changes where needed.

I will also examine the current training programs in the areas of active shooter, crisis negotiations and enhanced first aid.

In addition, I will conduct a comprehensive review in the service of process of civil papers, writs, PFA orders, and all warrants to determine current efficiency and safety.

I will review existing written policies, standard operating procedures and hiring and promotion practices to determine how they align with current best practices and will add and adjust accordingly.

I will conduct a needs assessment for future capital projects while exploring alternative funding sources to lessen the burden on the Lehigh County taxpayer.