Increased DUIs surrounding Bethlehem Slot Barn

Local Police Chiefs, Investigator Discuss Crime and Public Safety
Lower Saucon Township

Chiefs Robert Shupp and Guy Lesser and Police Investigator Christopher Leidy were joint presenters at a recent Hellertown-Lower Saucon Chamber of Commerce breakfast.
By Josh Popichak

Called "Protecting Our Community," the updates by the chiefs covered everything from crime-related casino impacts in Hellertown to identity theft.

Overall, Lesser said, Lower Saucon Township remains a safe community, seemingly removed from the crime and chaos of more urban areas nearby.

Shupp focused his portion of the presentation on discussing how the opening of the Sands casino in Bethlehem has changed policing in Hellertown during his tenure.

Crimes that were rare or unknown just a couple of years ago are beginning to become more commonplace, he explained.

As an example, Shupp said the Borough of Hellertown no longer accepts $100 bills in its office, because they had begun to receive counterfeit $100 notes from "people from out of town."

DUI arrests have increased since the casino's opening, he said, "I'm assuming, because the casino serves free alcohol."


"FREE ALCOHOL" has become a hallmark of Slot Barns everywhere, making innocent people potential victims of drunk drivers. It is known that people gamble more with increased alcohol consumption eliminating sensible decision-making.

"We're starting to see drugs coming in and in larger quantities," he also noted.

According to Shupp, narcotics arrests in Hellertown have increased 190 percent since the casino's opening.

To offset the increases in crime and threats to public safety, the Hellertown Police Department was the recipient of several grants from the Northampton County Gaming Revenue and Economic Redevelopment Authority late last year.

The grant money has been used to hire two more police officers, to purchase a new cruiser and for training purposes, Shupp said.

In particular, he praised the grant money that is paying for training.

"That was just outstanding," he said. "That's training our officers never would have received. We never could have afforded it."

Gambling Revenues paid for increased law enforcement necessary because of the Bethlehem Slot Barn. Interesting!


Simple, common-sense steps to take include shredding personal and financial documents; refusing to give out confidential information over the phone; and calling the police if something suspicious occurs.

Unfortunately, elderly residents are often the target for individuals attempting to commit identity theft, Leidy said.

Some of the cases the Lower Saucon Police Department has investigated have involved individuals from as far away as California and Nevada, he noted.