NEW BETHLEHEM – “Jim was all about the betterment of the community. He was consistent and it was never about him.”
That’s how retired District Judge Dan George characterized former New Bethlehem Police Chief Jim Merwin who passed away on Wednesday, July 7 at the age of 83.
Merwin, who became police chief in 1987, is remembered as the one who restored integrity and professionalism to the then-struggling New Bethlehem Police Department.
When Merwin took the helm, the department was suffering from a series of scandals and investigations. Aware of the monumental task that lay ahead of him, Merwin reportedly said at the time that he would “work overtime to heal the force’s damaged reputation.”
According to George, who remembers well the disarray that plagued the department at the time, Merwin’s work and dedication to the community accomplished that.
“After three-and-a-half years of dealing with that mess, [Jim] was a breath of fresh air,” George said. “If I was picking the cream of the crop of all the local officers [I’ve worked with], Jim would be at the top of the list.”
Former New Bethlehem Borough Council member Ed Goth concurred, noting that Merwin was “very dedicated to the police department and New Bethlehem Borough.”
“He would work hours and hours outside of his normal time because he felt that it was the right thing to do,” Goth said. “He was very well-respected within the law enforcement community.”
Clarion County Sheriff and retired state police trooper Rex Munsee recounted several important cases — including a homicide, suicide, bank robbery, assault and more — that he worked with Chief Merwin.
“When you worked with Jim, he was just so down to earth,” Munsee said, noting that Merwin often conducted suspect interviews like a conversation. “He was a non-threatening police officer, and he listened to what people said.”
One of their more…