DeSales Welcomes Bethlehem Police Commissioner Stuart J. Bedics as New Police Chief
The DeSales University community welcomes Stuart J. Bedics, Bethlehem’s police commissioner, who was selected to become DeSales University’s chief of police. Bedics will start at the University on June 6, 2011.
After graduating from the Allentown Police Academy in 1984, Bedics began his police career with Bangor Borough and Lower Saucon Township. He joined the Bethlehem City Police Department in 1987 and took on increased responsibility in various assignments to become its commissioner.
“University public safety planners face mounting challenges,” says Fr. Mark F. Plaushin, OSFS, executive director of DeSales Emergency Management Office. “On one hand, DeSales wishes to give faculty, staff, students, and alumni a freedom that is as broad as the educational effort itself, and on the other hand, we want to protect the community from the criminal, the terroristic, and the irrational.”
The DeSales University Police undertakes this challenge daily: applying best practices and new technology; promoting collaboration with community members; hands-on problem solving; and fostering police officer satisfaction and confidence.
“Public safety professionals cultivate preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery within their higher education communities,” says Plaushin, “what we refer to at DeSales as comprehensive, all-hazards community protection. But it is equally important to equip student-citizens to confront safety, security, and health issues in the tradition of Christian humanism as they go into the world.”
According to Plaushin, what distinguishes the DeSales educational public-safety effort from any other is the teachings of Francis de Sales (1567-1609), the University’s patron, who defined life in God as a life well lived. De Sales argued that humans are invested with a God-given dignity and vocation and that human endeavor should empower others to be capable of incredible goodness—ultimately the goodness of life with God himself. “At its heart, the vocation of public safety is about building the individual and community capacity for self-gift, sometimes in the face of adversity or even danger,” says Plaushin.
DeSales thanks and commends DeSales’ Acting Chief Mike Pochron for his continuing effort to build a safer, more secure, and healthier community and for promoting the zeal of our students for self-gift in public service. He continues to serve the University as the consummate police professional during these months of transition.
“The record Bedics and Pochron have together in service to the Lehigh Valley (61 years) is laudable,” says Plaushin. “It reminds us that a life of public service is its own reward. What a privilege it is to be available to others!”
DeSales looks forward to welcoming Bedics and his family to DeSales.
For more information
Mark F. Plaushin, OSFS, executive director for public safety, security & health
mark.plaushin@desales.edu
610-282-1100, ext. 2242
Press Release: DeSales Welcomes Former Bethlehem Police Commissioner Stuart J. Bedics as New Police Chief | Posted on: 4/11/2011
For more info:
Tom McNamara, Executive Director of Communications
DeSales University | 2255 Station Avenue | Center Valley, PA 18034
610.282.1100 x1219 | Tom.McNamara@desales.edu |
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