Scott M. Grim, 55, of Allentown, has officially announced his bid for re-election for the office of coroner of Lehigh County.

He will seek the Democratic nomination for his fifth term.Grim said, "I have proudly served the citizens of Lehigh County in this capacity since 1997 and will continue to provide the services the citizens have elected me to perform."He said that in 2014, his office investigate 5,700 deaths, which is a large increase from 1997 when the office investigate 2,340 deaths.As coroner, the county's chief death investigator, his main responsibility is to justify the cause and manner of deaths of people who die within the coroner's jurisdiction.On Oct. 3, 2014, after an 18-year dream, Grim and his staff opened the state-of-the-art Lehigh County Coroner's Office & Forensics Center at 4350 Broadway, South Whitehall Township. With this new facility, Grim said, all autopsies and forensic services are now performed under one roof, which prevents any tampering of evidence which is vital to criminal investigations and enhances the integrity of the investigation.Grim has a staff of 19 full and part-time employees.He has an extensive background in medicolegal death investigations and forensics.He is a member of Our Lady Help of Christian Church in Allentown.He also is a member of the Lehigh Career & Technical Institute's Criminal Justice Occupational Advisory Council, the Lehigh Carbon Community College Criminal Justice Advisory Board, Pennsylvania State Coroner's Association, National Association of Medical Examiners, International Association of Coroners and Medical Examiners, Lehigh County Employees Federal Credit Union board of directors, Pennsylvania State Attorney General's Medico/Legal Advisory Board on Child Abuse, Pennsylvania State Child Death Review Team & Advisory Board, Lehigh County Child Death Review Team, Northampton County Child Death Review Team, and Lehigh County Suicide Prevention Task Force.Grim is a lifelong resident of Allentown. He and wife Ann have two children, Justin and Jennifer, and two grandsons, Matthew and Nickolas.