By MICHAEL HIRSCH

Special to The Press

During the Upper Macungie supervisors’ May 3 meeting, there were three presentations.

The first was a badge-pinning ceremony for new Police Officers James Baker Jr. and Riley Miller.

“This concludes our search for police officers that began last year in 2022,” Chief Mike Sitoski said. “After an extensive testing process, background process, physical agility, psychological, and all that sort of thing that goes into selecting candidates for the position a police officer, brings us here tonight.”

Baker received a Bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and sociology from East Stroudsburg University in 2017.

He completed ACT 120 certification through the Allentown Police Academy in 2018.

He previously worked full time for the Easton Police Department.

Sitoski said the tradition of pinning badges.

“We are all aware of the stress police officers go through nowadays,” Sitoski said. “It is very important family members have a good support system of family and friends and to continue to have a balanced life outside of work to help keep them grounded.”

Officer Baker was pinned by his fiancée, Lauren Mateyak .

Miller studied criminal justice at Kutztown University and received certification in 2019 from Montgomery County Community College.

He worked full time with the Southern Chester County Regional Police Department, where he received a lifetime DUI Officer of the Year award.

There was a special moment when Officer Miller was pinned by his father, Francis, who was also a police officer.

Sitoski said the officers will find tremendous amount of support in the community.

“You have a lot of people who are going to want to meet you,” Sitoski said. “I encourage you both get out of the car, meet people, shake hands.

“You know, enjoy yourselves again.”

In other matters Supervisor James Brunnell read a proclamation honoring Jenaye Saunders.

She recently received the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest achievement in Girl Scouts. A member of Girl Scout Troop 6700, Orefield, Saunders is a 2022 graduate of Parkland High School and now is in the Air Force National Guard in the pavement and construction shop.

She plans on becoming an officer after earning her degree in environmental engineering.

Her other accomplishments include becoming the first female Eagle Scout in Lehigh County, the Zach Kraus Spirit of Service Award and the President’s Volunteer Service Award.