Speaking before a crowded room, Allentown Mayor Ray O’Connell announced the appointment of Capt. Glenn E. Granitz Jr. as the city’s interim police chief.

Mayor O’Connell began his speech by stating, “Seventeen months ago, when I took this job as the interim mayor of the City of Allentown, one of the first tasks I had was the selection of a new police chief,” O’Connell said. “Glen Dorney was retiring from the city heading to South Whitehall Township, so the department needed a new police chief. I selected Tony Alsleben.”

O’Connell then noted Alsleben was an excellent chief.

“He made Allentown Police Department a better police force and a better city,” O’Connell stated. “I fully understand his decision to retire at this time.

“Today, I am announcing I have decided to promote Capt. Glenn Granitz as the interim police chief of the Allentown Police Department.”

Granitz joined the department in 2001 and graduated from the Allentown Police Academy.

He was assigned to the Criminal Investigations Division as a detective in 2005.

In 2008, he joined the Lehigh County Homicide Task Force and was involved in multiple homicide arrests and convictions in cases dating back as far as 1998.

Granitz was promoted to detective/sergeant in the Criminal Investigations Division overseeing investigations in the areas of homicides, robberies, sexual assaults, property crimes and more in 2010.

In 2013, Granitz was selected to lead the Youth and Community Services Division of the police department, evaluating and assigning investigations and supervising all youth detectives and school resource officers.

Additionally, during that time he oversaw Gang Intelligence Initiatives.

Granitz was promoted to lieutenant in May 2015 and was assigned to the Third Platoon being responsible for directing police response and positioning of personnel for call response and crime prevention of on-duty personnel.

He was promoted to captain in August 2017 serving center city, overseeing the Fourth Platoon and all officers assigned to patrol the center city area, including the Center City Bike Unit.

“Chief Granitz is well-prepared for his new role,” O’Connell said. “His career path has taken himself across just about every facet of policing. He has spent years expanding the department’s community outreach.

He is well known to community groups and community leaders, especially in the center city police service area.”

Granitz said he was humbled by the support for the Allentown Police Department, for the support of the relationships that the department is building in the community and by the support inside of the department.

“Mayor O’Connell, I appreciate the confidence that you have shown to me and to the members of city council. I look forward to continuing our relationship in my new capacity,” Granitz said.

Granitz, a second generation member of the Allentown Police Department, told the men and women of the police department he will be the same person he has always been.

“I am going to be fair. I am going to move with determination. And I have a work ethic like no other,” Granitz stated. “So, if you ask what my expectation is for the men and women of the Allentown Police Department, it is going to be to work.”

He said the police department’s goal will be to fight back against violent crime.

“The current level of violence and the fear it has created is quite simply unacceptable,” Granitz said. “We have endured a difficult and heart wrenching year.”

He also said there will be an increase in the level of communication via media and social media both incoming and outgoing, a commitment to a neighborhood community policing program and a targeted plot program next year that will work specially to address gun violence in the neighborhoods that need it the most.

“So ladies and gentlemen in closing, this is a tong term plan,” he added. “We are not going to create an effective change in the coming days and months. This will take time and hard work and effort from each and every one of us. I for one am ready for this challenge. I am asking you to stand with me as I am prepared to stand along side each and every one of you.”

Granitz resides in the city’s West Park section with his wife and three children.