ALLENTOWN – For the first time in its history, the Allentown Police Department includes the position of detective. On March 13, Borough Council members voted 6-0 to create the position.
Moments after adopting the ordinance that created the position, council members voted unanimously to appoint Patrolman Anthony Rando to the position.
Council President Thomas Fritts said Officer in Charge Lt. Dan Panckieri approached the governing body to recommend the change in the police department.
Fritts said Rando has been with the police department for four-and-a-half years “and during this time, he has attended additional classes to increase his skills and effectiveness as a police officer and investigator.”
Fritts said Allentown did not have a detective on staff, which he said is uncommon for most police departments.
“I believe I speak on behalf of the entire governing body when I say that Detective Rando is a true asset to our community and we could not be prouder of his accomplishments,” the council president said.
Fritts said Rando has taken numerous classes to prepare for his role as a detective. The courses the officer has taken include training to investigate sexual assault, narcotics investigator training, search and seizure training, active shooter training, heroin investigation and prosecution, internet safety for children and active shooter training.
Commenting on his new position, Rando said, “I am very excited to obtain this new position and serve the borough to the best of my abilities. … As a small police agency, we used to have to rely on the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, which has pros and cons.
“The prosecutor’s office does phenomenal work, but it complicates the investigation having to communicate with an agency that is 30 minutes away and is not familiar with the borough. During every investigation, I was asked by (representatives of the) Major Crimes Unit why we did not have a detective and I explained to Lt. Panckieri the benefits of having one,” he said.
“Having one person focus on investigations gives that person more time to thoroughly investigate the incident. I believe (being a detective) will benefit the community because having worked here for approximately five years, I know things about the borough, the residents and the day-to-day activity that the prosecutor’s office probably would not know because they are in Freehold.
“I have been working on and will continue to work on stopping the drug problem that plagues all families in all towns across the state. I also have a great relationship with a majority of the residents in town. I will still be working with the prosecutor’s detectives on some cases due to their resources and experience,” Rando said.