Allentown Police Records
Allentown is Pennsylvania's third-largest city, with approximately 125,000 residents located in Lehigh County in the Lehigh Valley region. The Allentown Police Department serves the entire city and maintains records of all criminal incidents, accidents, arrests, and other police activity that occurs within the municipal boundaries. Police records available through the department include incident reports, accident reports, and arrest documentation. For broader public records not directly related to incident reports, Allentown uses a centralized open records process administered through the City Clerk's office. This guide covers the complete process for obtaining Allentown police reports in person or by mail, submitting formal Right-to-Know Law requests, using state-level criminal history resources, accessing Lehigh County court records, and finding crime statistics for the Allentown area.
Allentown Quick Facts
Allentown Police Records Overview
The Allentown Police Department is headquartered at 425 Hamilton Street, Allentown, PA 18101. The non-emergency phone number for the department is 610-437-7751. For all emergencies, dial 911. The department provides full-service law enforcement to the City of Allentown, operating under a Mayor-Council government structure typical of a Pennsylvania third-class city. The department's Criminal Investigations Division handles more serious cases and can be reached at 610-437-7721.
Police records in Allentown include incident reports, arrest records, accident reports, and other public safety documentation generated by department officers in the course of their duties. These records are maintained by the department and are available to the public subject to applicable exemptions under Pennsylvania law. Certain categories of records, such as investigative reports related to ongoing criminal cases, are not subject to public disclosure and will not be released regardless of how a request is submitted.
Allentown operates as a third-class city in Pennsylvania, which means it is governed under a specific set of statutory requirements that affect how records are maintained and how public access requests are handled. The City Clerk's office plays a central role in the open records process, serving as the primary intake point for formal Right-to-Know Law requests involving any city department, including the Police Department. This is distinct from the direct report request process at the Records office, which is described in the next section.
How to Get an Allentown Police Report
To obtain a copy of a police incident report from the Allentown Police Department, visit the Records office located on the College Street side of the department building at 425 Hamilton Street. You will need to access the office through the Traffic door on the College Street side of the building during regular office hours. Bring any identifying information about the report, including a report number, the date and location of the incident, and the names of any individuals involved. A valid photo ID is strongly recommended.
All report copies from the Allentown Police Department cost $15.00 per copy. Accepted payment methods are cash, check, or money order. Make checks or money orders payable to the City of Allentown. Credit and debit cards are not accepted at this office, so plan to bring an appropriate form of payment. If you are requesting multiple reports, you will be charged $15.00 for each individual report copy.
Mail requests are also accepted for those who cannot visit in person. To submit a mail request, write a letter that includes your full name, mailing address, and phone number, as well as the time and place of the incident you are seeking records for. If you have a report number, include it. Send your written request along with payment by check or money order to: Allentown Police Department, ATTN: Records, 425 Hamilton Street, Allentown, PA 18101. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope so the department can return the completed report to you efficiently. Requests missing required information may be delayed.
Accident reports may be available through different channels depending on the nature of the accident. If your request is for a vehicle crash report and you need it for insurance purposes, ask the Records office about the availability of the report and any alternative retrieval options. Processing times vary, so submit your request as early as possible if the report is needed for a specific deadline.
Allentown Right-to-Know Requests
Formal Right-to-Know Law requests for records held by any City of Allentown department, including the Police Department, are submitted to the City Clerk's office. The open records process in Allentown is described on the city's website at allentownpa.gov/your-government/open-records. Requests submitted through the City Clerk are processed according to the requirements of the Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law (65 P.S. §§ 67.101-67.3104).
Under state law, the city must respond to a written RTK request within five business days of receipt. The response may grant full access to the requested records, deny the request with a written explanation citing the applicable exemption, or invoke a 30-day extension for requests involving voluminous records or records requiring significant legal review. If you do not receive a response within five business days and no extension has been granted, the request is deemed denied by operation of law.
Copy fees for records provided through the RTK process are $0.25 per page for standard black-and-white paper copies. If your request involves digital records, electronic formats, or certified documents, different fees may apply. The City Clerk can advise you on applicable fees before your request is processed. If you need to prepay for copies, the Clerk's office will provide an invoice before releasing records.
If your RTK request is denied, or if you receive a partial denial, you have the right to appeal to the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records (OOR). The OOR is located at 333 Market Street, 16th Floor, Harrisburg, PA 17101. Phone: 717-346-9903. Website: openrecords.pa.gov. Appeals must be filed within 15 business days of the date of the denial. The OOR will review the city's decision and issue a final determination. Note that active investigative records and other records specifically exempted by statute will not be released even after an appeal.
Allentown Police Online Resources
The Allentown Police Department maintains a web presence at allentownpa.gov/police, which provides general information about the department, contact details for various divisions, and resources for residents. The Police Administration page at allentownpa.gov/police-administration provides information about department leadership, including the office of the Chief of Police.
For anonymous crime tips, the Allentown Police Department participates in the TIP411 application. TIP411 allows members of the public to submit crime tips anonymously via text message or through a web-based form. Tips submitted through TIP411 are reviewed by department personnel and may be used to initiate or support investigations. The anonymous tip system is intended for reporting information about crimes that have already occurred or are about to occur. It is not a substitute for calling 911 in an active emergency.
The department's non-emergency line at 610-437-7751 handles calls for service that do not require an immediate emergency response. For general inquiries about the department, community programs, or specific divisions, this number is the appropriate point of contact. The Criminal Investigations Division, which handles more serious crimes, can be reached separately at 610-437-7721. Directory information for specific officers and units is available on the department's official website.
PATCH and Criminal History in Allentown
The Pennsylvania Access To Criminal History (PATCH) system provides statewide conviction records for individuals with Pennsylvania criminal history, including records originating in Allentown and Lehigh County. The fee for each PATCH search is $22. The system is available online at pa.gov/agencies/psp/programs/records-request/overview-of-patch. Online searches are typically returned within minutes of submission, making PATCH one of the fastest options for checking Pennsylvania criminal history.
PATCH results are governed by the Criminal History Record Information Act (CHRIA), 18 Pa.C.S. §§ 9101-9183. Under CHRIA, results are limited to convictions and certain other final dispositions. Arrests that were not followed by convictions, charges that were withdrawn or dismissed, and records that have been expunged are generally not included in a PATCH search result. Records from federal courts and other states are also excluded from PATCH.
If you need a comprehensive background check that goes beyond Pennsylvania convictions, you may need to submit additional requests to the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System or to criminal history repositories in other states where the individual may have lived or been charged. Employers and landlords using criminal history information in Allentown should also ensure they are complying with applicable Pennsylvania and federal laws governing the use of background check information in employment and housing contexts.
The Pennsylvania Megan's Law registry, which lists registered sex offenders, is maintained separately from PATCH and is searchable at pameganslaw.state.pa.us. This registry is maintained by the Pennsylvania State Police and allows searches by name, location, and zip code. It is updated regularly as offenders register, move, or are removed from the registry.
Lehigh County Court Records
Criminal court records for cases heard in Allentown and throughout Lehigh County are available through the Unified Judicial System Web Portal at ujsportal.pacourts.us. This free public resource allows anyone to search by name or docket number and access case information from the Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas and the Allentown Magisterial District Courts. The portal covers both misdemeanor-level cases heard in the lower courts and felony-level cases handled by the Court of Common Pleas.
The UJS Portal provides access to docket sheets that show the charges filed, case status, scheduled court dates, and final dispositions. This information is available at no charge for standard public record lookups. However, certified copies of court documents, which are often required for legal proceedings, expungement petitions, professional license applications, and immigration matters, must be obtained directly from the Lehigh County Clerk of Courts.
The Lehigh County Clerk of Courts is located at 455 West Hamilton Street, Allentown, PA 18101. The Clerk of Courts handles criminal case filings and can provide certified copies of criminal complaints, sentencing orders, case disposition records, and other documents from the Court of Common Pleas. Fees for certified copies are set by the Pennsylvania courts and may vary based on document type and page count. Contact the Clerk of Courts directly for current fee schedules before submitting your request.
Allentown Crime Statistics
Crime data for Allentown is compiled through the Pennsylvania Uniform Crime Reporting system, which is administered by the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General. Statewide UCR data, including Allentown's reported crime figures, is published at attorneygeneral.gov/pennsylvania-uniform-crime-reporting-system/. The UCR system aggregates crime data from all participating law enforcement agencies across Pennsylvania and presents it in standardized categories that allow for comparison across jurisdictions and over time.
The Allentown Police Department publishes its own crime data and incident summaries through its official website and through city government publications. These department-level reports often include more granular data than the statewide UCR summary, providing neighborhood-level or precinct-level breakdowns that are useful for understanding crime patterns across specific areas of the city. Allentown's crime data reflects the department's active monitoring of activity in all city neighborhoods throughout the year.
Official crime statistics reflect only incidents that were reported to the police. Unreported crimes are not captured in these figures, which means that official statistics represent a minimum estimate of criminal activity rather than a complete count. Researchers, journalists, and community organizations often supplement official UCR data with survey data, hospital records, and other sources to develop a more comprehensive picture of public safety in a given area. The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission and regional civic organizations also publish reports touching on public safety and crime trends across the Allentown metropolitan area.
Nearby Pennsylvania Cities
Residents of cities near Allentown access police records through their own local departments and county offices. Select a city below to learn about police records and report requests in that area.