Seven new Allentown police officers were sworn-in this afternoon during a ceremony in City Council Chambers where the department also awarded badges to two newly certified officers.
Mayor Ray O’Connell and Police Chief Glenn Granitz Jr. presided as officers Adam Fenston, Gregorio Mora, Lynnsay Bauman, Pedro Bautista, Cody Gonzalez, Steven Gonzalez, and Dakota Martin took the oath of office and received their department badges. Officers Nathali Soriano and Andrew Gehringer were hired and sworn-in last November and received their badges this afternoon upon graduating from the Allentown Police Academy.
“We are making great strides in increasing the diversity of the Allentown police department,” said Mayor O’Connell. “I want to welcome the new officers to the force and pledge my support as they take on the challenges of the job.”
Chief Granitz said, “The Allentown Police Department continues to show the ability to attract qualified and diverse applicants even as nationwide agencies struggle to hire officers. I am certain that these officers will serve the residents of the City of Allentown well during their careers.”
Officer Soriano is a graduate of Discovery High School in the Bronx, New York and holds an Associate of Arts degree in Criminal Justice from Monroe College in the Bronx, New York.
Officer Gehringer is a graduate of Catasauqua Area High School. He attended Lehigh Carbon Community College.
Officer Fenston graduated from East Stroudsburg High School and is serving in the U.S. Marine Corps. He was hired in January 2021 and just graduated from the Allentown Police Academy.
Officer Mora graduated from Seward Park High School in New York, NY and attended Moravian College. He was hired in February 2021. He is Act 120 Certified from the Allentown Police Academy in November 2009. He was previously a full-time sheriff deputy for the Lehigh County Sheriff’s Department and a part time police officer for the Lower Saucon Township Police Department.
Officer Bauman was hired in February 2021. She graduated from Boyertown High School and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice from Alvernia University. She is Act 120 Certified from the Reading Police Academy in December 2018. She was previously a police officer for the Pottsville Police Department.
Officer Bautista was hired in March 2021. He is a graduate of Hazelton Area High School and attended Lackawanna College. He is Act 120 Certified from Lackawanna College Police Academy in June 2015. He was previously a police officer for the Hazelton Police Department.
Officer Cody Gonzalez is a December 2019 graduate of the Allentown Police Academy and was hired in March of this year. He graduated from Freedom High School and attended Northampton Community College. He was previously a part time police officer for the Carbondale Police Department and a part time police officer for the Lehigh University Police Department.
Officer Steven Gonzalez was hired by the city in May. He is a graduate of Seward Park High School in New York, NY and attended City University of New York. He is a March 2017 graduate of the Philadelphia Police Academy. He was previously a police officer for the Philadelphia Police Department.
Officer Martin is a December 2017 graduate of the Delaware County Community College Police Academy and was hired by the city this past May. He graduated from Pennsbury High School and attended Mercer County Community College. He was previously a part time police officer for the Rockledge Borough Police Department and a part time police officer for the North Wales Police Department.
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