Third of four parts

The amount of grants received by the Salisbury Township Police Department increased in 2018, compared to the amount of grants received in 2017.

The Salisbury Township Police Department received $147,923.98 in grants in 2018, an increase from $127,363.30 received in grants in 2017, an increase from $133,416.89 in grants received in 2016 and an increase from $57,023 in grants received in 2015.

The Lehigh County Gaming Grant contributed the majority of the amount in grants received by the township police department in 2018.

The gaming grant is in doubt for 2019.

Salisbury Township Chief of Police Allen W. Stiles released the township police department 2018 annual year in review to commissioners and the media.

The information about grants received by the township police department is based on the report.

The Lehigh County Gaming Grant, disbursed from funds received via the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem, was $113,600, an increase from $100,755 in the gaming grant received in 2017, and an increase from $89,806.65 in the gaming grant received in 2016.

With the 2018 gaming grant, the township police department purchased a 2018 Dodge Charger police vehicle, including “up-fit equipment.” An additional 2018 Dodge Charger police vehicle was purchased with budgeted township funds.

According to a statement on the Lehigh County website, after the 2018 gaming grants were distributed, Lehigh County no longer administers the gaming grants program.

“In accordance with Act 42 of 2017, the revenues received from the Sands Casino will be forwarded to the Commonwealth Financing Authority for distribution,” the website stated.

The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development devised one program for Lehigh and Northampton counties. Funds are to be kept separate, as is done in other counties in the commonwealth, according to the website.

Lehigh County had received gaming funds for distribution to municipalities impacted by the Sands Casino based on a revenue-sharing agreement between Northampton County, Bethlehem and Allentown set up by Lehigh Valley state legislators in 2007.

A casino was required to pay 2 percent of slot machine revenue or $10 million to a municipality where it is based. Mount Airy Casino, Monroe County, won a legal ruling that varying rates of host fees are unconstitutional. The ruling resulted in the commonwealth legislature rewriting the host fees law, which affects gaming grants based on Sands Casino revenue.

According to the website, funding is at the discretion of Lehigh County. Requests are for capital projects, transportation needs of a municipality because of increases in traffic, safety and crime prevention programs to combat documented increases in crime or other requests as defined by the municipality as a result of location of the casino in south Bethlehem.

Other grants received by the Salisbury Township police department in 2018 included:

Pennsylvania Commission on Crime & Delinquency (Directed Patrol Drug Enforcement), $10,000.

Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (DUI Enforcement-Overtime), $1,467.18, a decrease from $2,159.77 received in 2017, and a decrease from $2,969.83 received in 2016.

Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (Seatbelt Safety Program-Overtime), $433.12, a decrease from $4,730.42 received in 2017, and a decrease from $5,851.45 received in 2016.

Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (Aggressive Driving Prevention), $1,123.68, a decrease from $4,761.06 received in 2017, and a decrease from $3,372.71 received in 2016.

Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General (Operation Lifesaver Bracelets), $1,800.

United States Department of Justice (Bulletproof Vest Partnership to issue officers ballistic vests), $3,600.

St. Luke’s Health Network (QRS Equipment), $15,700.

Breakout statistics for gaming grant, aggressive driving enforcement, seat-belt use and DUI vehicle stops and traffic citations, and traffic speed-limit studies were not included in the 2018 police department report.

Salisbury Township Police Department training was included in the 2018 police report.

Command Staff Training

Stiles attended the Pennsylvania Crime Prevention Officers Annual Symposium.

Sgt. Kevin Soberick, Sgt. Ronald Patten and Sgt. Donald Sabo attended the Use of Force Summit.

Soberick also attended Federal Emergency Management Institute (Leadership and Influence) and Pennsylvania Emergency Management (Critical Decision Making for Complex Coordinated Attacks).

Patten also attended Pennsylvania Emergency Management (Critical Decision Making for Complex Coordinated Attacks), GSA (Reporting Procedures for Federal Property and Equipment Program) and Force Science Institute (Understanding and Applying Principles of Force Science).

Sabo also attended Pennsylvania Emergency Medical Service (2018 Blood-Borne Pathogens Training, Civil Rights Investigator III Certification, National Emergency Response and Rescue Training Area-Wide Search; Lehigh County Emergency Management (Knowledge Center Administration); American Heart Association (Basic Life Support Instructor Certification); National Association of Fire Investigators (Fire and Explosion Investigator re-certification); A.L.I.C.E. Instructor re-certification; Fire Investigator Seminar; Homicide Investigation and Crime Scene Management Training and TAC Officer Training.

Department Training

Detective Kevin Kress attended Homicide Investigation and Crime Scene Management Training; TAC Officer Training; Search Warrants For Major Case Investigations; Child Abuse Investigations and Interviewing Juveniles Training.

Detective Christopher Casey attended Homicide Investigation and Crime Scene Management Training; Mock Crime Scenes; Fingerprinting 1 & 2; Crime Scene Management and Documentation; Death Investigation; Crime Scene Photography; Shoe, Foot and Tire Marks; Child Abuse Investigation; Interviewing Juveniles; Crash, Arson and Electronic Crime Investigation; Pa. D.A.R.E. Officers Opioid-OTC-RX Training and Pennsylvania Crime Prevention Officers Association Crime Prevention Symposium.

Cpl. Charles Whitehead attended Crises Intervention Training; Use of Force Summit, and Understanding and Applying Principles of Force Science.

Senior Patrol Officer Richard Nothstein, the school resource officer, attended National School Safety Conference (Advanced School Resource Officer Training); National Association of School Resource Officers (School Safety Leadership Summit and Adolescent Mental Health); CPI (Nonviolent Crises Intervention Training, Understanding and Applying Principles of Force Science)and A.L.I.C.E. Training Institute (Instructor re-certification).

Officer Budd Frankenfield attended ENRADD Training.

Officer Kyle Rehatchek attended PennDOT (MCSAP Inspector Training Level 3, CLEAN Training Level 8 Local Limited Access).

Office Kevin Johnson attended Understanding and Applying Principles of Force Science and ENRADD Training.

Office Brian Zulic attended DUI Sobriety Checkpoint Training, and ENRADD Training.

Officer Jason Harrison attended ENRADD Training.

Office Noah LoPresti attended DUI Sobriety Checkpoint Training and ENRADD Training.

Office Curtis Ziegler attended DUI Sobriety Checkpoint Training; Standard Field Sobriety Training and ENRADD Training.

All Salisbury Township police officers completed Annual Mandatory Municipal Police Officer Training and Education Commission Training (12 hours per officer) on MPOETC website; annual first-aid, CPR and AED Training (department in-service); Chief Stiles Leadership, Motivational and Guidance Seminar and daily Mentoring Sessions; Annual Pistol, Shotgun and Rifle Training and Qualification; Less-Lethal Weapons Training (department in-service); Active Shooter Response Training (in Salisbury Township School District and private schools in township) and special Operation Group Training (4.5 hours per month for 12 months as department in-service).

Next week: Part 4, the conclusion of Salisbury Township Police Department’s 2018 Annual Report.