Bensalem Police Records
Bensalem Township is one of Pennsylvania's largest townships by population, located in Bucks County along the Delaware River with approximately 61,000 residents. The Bensalem Township Police Department maintains a full-service records office for handling public requests involving incident reports, accident reports, and other official police documentation. The township participates in the Crimewatch online reporting platform for certain non-emergency incidents and uses the Crashdocs system for accident report distribution. This guide covers every major pathway to Bensalem police records, from direct report requests and the Crashdocs platform to the Right-to-Know process, PATCH criminal history access, and court records for cases arising in Bucks County.
Bensalem Quick Facts
Bensalem Police Records Overview
The Bensalem Township Police Department provides full law enforcement services within the township boundaries and is the sole municipal police agency for Bensalem. The department's headquarters is located at 2400 Byberry Road, Bensalem, PA 19020, and the main non-emergency phone number is (215) 633-3700. The Records Office at headquarters handles all public requests for police reports and official documentation. For emergencies, always call 911. For non-emergency matters involving police activity that has already been handled and where you now need documentation, the Records Office is the starting point for your request.
Bensalem Township participates in the Crimewatch platform, which allows residents to submit online reports for certain qualifying non-emergency incidents. Crimewatch is commonly used for minor property crimes and similar incidents where no immediate police response is needed and no injuries occurred. Using Crimewatch for an eligible incident generates an official report that can be used for insurance purposes. However, like all online reporting systems, Crimewatch cannot be used for violent crimes, incidents involving injuries, crimes in progress, or any situation requiring an immediate police response. For those situations, call 911 or the non-emergency line at (215) 633-3700.
The township's official website at bensalempa.gov provides current information about police department services, community programs, and contact information for various divisions. The township serves a diverse community with strong commercial, industrial, and residential areas, and the police department's records office processes a significant volume of requests including those from insurance companies, attorneys, and employers in addition to individual residents. Understanding which type of request applies to your situation, whether a direct records request or a formal RTK filing, will help streamline the process.
How to Get a Bensalem Police Report
To obtain a copy of a police report filed with the Bensalem Township Police Department, your first step is to contact the Records Office at the department's headquarters at 2400 Byberry Road, Bensalem, PA 19020, by phone at (215) 633-3700. Staff can confirm whether the report you are seeking exists in the department's system, advise you on the applicable fee, and explain whether you need to appear in person or whether a mail request is acceptable for your specific type of record. Having the incident date, location, names of parties involved, and any report number issued at the scene will allow staff to locate the record more efficiently.
In-person pickup is available at the Records Office during regular business hours. A valid government-issued photo ID is required at the time of pickup. Payment is due at the time of pickup or at the time of submission if mailing your request. For most standard incident report copies, the payment accepted includes check, money order, or other methods as advised by the Records Office at the time of your inquiry. Cash should be confirmed as acceptable before visiting in person, as policies on cash payment vary by agency.
Mail requests are also accepted for Bensalem police reports. When submitting by mail, write a clear description of the incident including the date, location, names of parties involved, and the report number if available. Include a copy of your government-issued photo ID and the applicable fee in the form of a check or money order made payable to Bensalem Township. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) so the Records Office can return the completed report to your mailing address. Mail requests that are missing required information or proper payment may be returned without processing, so review all requirements before submitting.
Online Crash Reports via Crashdocs
Bensalem Township Police uses the Crashdocs platform for distributing vehicle accident reports to parties involved in crashes occurring within the township. Crashdocs is an online service accessible at crashdocs.org that allows involved parties to search for and purchase copies of their crash reports without visiting a police station or waiting for a mailed copy. The fee for an accident report through the Crashdocs system is $10.00 per report. Payment is processed electronically through the platform, and the report is made available for download once the transaction is completed.
To locate your crash report through Crashdocs, you will need to provide identifying information about the accident, which typically includes the date of the crash, the names of parties involved, the report number if provided by the responding officer, or the vehicle identification number (VIN) associated with one of the vehicles. The platform will search available reports and return a match if the report has been entered into the system. Not all reports are immediately available, as there is typically a processing period following the incident before the report appears in the Crashdocs database.
The Crashdocs system is particularly convenient for insurance claims and legal matters because it provides a faster alternative to in-person or mail requests and generates a digital copy that can be forwarded directly to insurance adjusters or attorneys. If you encounter difficulty locating your report through Crashdocs, or if the report is not yet available in the system, contact the Bensalem Township Police Records Office at (215) 633-3700 for assistance. The Records Office can confirm whether the report has been processed and advise on the expected timeline for availability in the Crashdocs system.
Crash reports are important documents for insurance claims, personal injury litigation, license reinstatement proceedings, and any legal proceeding arising from a vehicle accident. Keeping a copy of your crash report in a secure location following an accident is advisable, as it documents the official record of the incident including the officer's narrative, diagrams, witness information, and the officer's preliminary determination of fault or contributing factors. If your crash occurred in a portion of Bensalem Township where jurisdiction was shared with state police, the Pennsylvania State Police crash report system at pa.gov/services/psp/request-a-copy-of-a-vehicle-crash-report may also be relevant at a $22.00 fee.
Bensalem Right-to-Know Requests
Formal Right-to-Know Law requests for records held by Bensalem Township, including those held by the Police Department, are submitted to the Township Manager's office in accordance with the Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law (65 P.S. §§ 67.101-67.3104). The township's RTK information page is available at bensalempa.gov/right-to-know. The standard Pennsylvania RTK request form may be used, but it is not required. A written request that clearly identifies the records sought and includes the requester's contact information is sufficient to initiate the process.
Bensalem Township must respond to a written RTK request within five business days. The township's response may grant full access to the records, deny the request with a written explanation citing specific exemptions under the law, request a 30-day extension for complex or voluminous requests, or redirect the requester to the agency that actually holds the records. Copy fees are $0.25 per page for standard paper documents. A certification fee of $5.00 applies if you need a certified copy of any record for legal or official use. If the anticipated cost exceeds $100.00, the township may require prepayment of 50% before beginning to process the request.
Bucks County also has its own open records process for county-level records. Information about Bucks County's open records program is available at buckscounty.gov/government/Open-Records.html. County-level records including records held by the Bucks County District Attorney's office, Sheriff's office, and court system are governed by the county's open records officer rather than the township. If your request involves records at both the township and county level, separate requests must be submitted to each agency. Appeals for denied RTK requests may be filed with the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records within 15 business days. OOR contact: 333 Market Street, 16th Floor, Harrisburg, PA 17101. Phone: 717-346-9903. Website: openrecords.pa.gov.
PATCH and Criminal History in Bensalem
The Pennsylvania Access To Criminal History (PATCH) system is the primary resource for obtaining statewide conviction records for individuals with criminal history in Pennsylvania, including records originating from arrests and prosecutions in Bensalem Township and Bucks County. PATCH is administered by the Pennsylvania State Police and is accessible online at pa.gov/agencies/psp/programs/records-request/overview-of-patch. The fee is $22.00 per name search, and results from online requests are typically returned within minutes.
PATCH operates under the Criminal History Record Information Act (CHRIA), 18 Pa.C.S. §§ 9101-9183. Under CHRIA, PATCH disclosures are limited to convictions and certain final dispositions entered anywhere in the Pennsylvania statewide system. Non-conviction outcomes, dismissed charges, withdrawn cases, and records that have been expunged under Pennsylvania law are not included in standard PATCH results. This statutory limitation means that PATCH reflects only a portion of an individual's legal history and does not capture arrests or charges that did not result in a formal conviction.
Employers, landlords, school districts, nonprofits, and licensing boards operating in Bensalem and Bucks County regularly use PATCH for background screening. Pennsylvania law through CHRIA restricts how conviction history information may be used in employment and other screening decisions, and users must be aware of both statewide and any applicable local restrictions. PATCH does not include records from other states or the federal system. If a broader background check is required, additional requests to the FBI Identity History Summary program or to other state repositories may be necessary. Individuals may also request their own PATCH record to review what is on file before a third-party screening.
Bucks County Court Records
Court records for criminal and civil cases arising in Bensalem Township and throughout Bucks County are available through the Unified Judicial System Web Portal at ujsportal.pacourts.us. This free public tool allows name and docket number searches and provides access to case information from the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas and local magisterial district courts. Docket sheets available through the portal include charges, hearing schedules, case status updates, bail information, and final dispositions. The UJS Portal search is the recommended first step for any Bucks County court records inquiry because it allows you to confirm the docket number and court level before making any certified copy request.
Bensalem Township is served by magisterial district courts that handle preliminary matters including arraignments, preliminary hearings, and summary offenses. For cases that advanced to the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas, whether for trial, plea, or sentencing, those records are held at the county courthouse level and searchable through the UJS Portal. Certified copies of court documents, which are required for legal proceedings, expungement petitions, employment clearances, and immigration matters, must be obtained directly from the Bucks County Clerk of Courts rather than downloaded from the portal.
The Bucks County Justice Center is located at 100 North Main Street, Doylestown, PA 18901. The Clerk of Courts handles certified copy requests and can advise on fees based on document type and number of pages. Civil filings, domestic relations matters, and other non-criminal court proceedings are handled by separate offices within the Bucks County court system. Residents can also access Bucks County court information and services through the county's official website. For Bensalem-specific records inquiries, having the defendant's full name, date of birth, and approximate incident date will facilitate a more efficient search through both the UJS Portal and the Clerk of Courts office.
Bensalem Crime Statistics
Crime statistics for Bensalem Township are compiled through the Pennsylvania Uniform Crime Reporting system, administered by the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General. Statewide UCR data, including annual crime figures for Bensalem, is published at attorneygeneral.gov/pennsylvania-uniform-crime-reporting-system/. UCR statistics cover both violent crime categories (homicide, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault) and property crime categories (burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson). Bensalem's figures are reported separately in the UCR system, allowing for comparison with similar-sized municipalities and tracking of trends over time.
Bensalem Township is a high-traffic commercial and residential area with major roadways including US Route 1, Interstate 95, and Street Road passing through or along its borders. The volume of commercial activity and transient population in certain areas influences the nature and distribution of reported crimes within the township. UCR statistics capture only reported incidents, so official figures represent a minimum baseline of actual criminal activity rather than a complete accounting. Residents interested in neighborhood-level public safety data may supplement UCR figures with information from community meetings, local news coverage, and direct communication with district officers.
The Bensalem Township Police Department actively engages with the community through various outreach programs aimed at crime prevention and public awareness. Residents with questions about crime trends in specific neighborhoods or who wish to report suspicious activity can contact the department through the main non-emergency line at (215) 633-3700 or through the Crimewatch anonymous tip system. Community engagement with law enforcement has been shown to improve both reporting rates and crime prevention outcomes in comparable suburban communities across Pennsylvania.
Nearby Pennsylvania Cities
Residents of communities near Bensalem 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.