Bethlehem Police Records
Bethlehem is one of Pennsylvania's larger cities, located primarily in Northampton County with approximately 75,000 residents. The greater Bethlehem area is served by multiple distinct law enforcement agencies depending on where an incident occurred. The City of Bethlehem is policed by the Bethlehem Police Department, Bethlehem Township has its own separate police force, and portions of the surrounding area fall under Colonial Regional Police. Identifying which agency handled your incident is the essential first step before requesting any Bethlehem police records. This guide covers how to contact each department, request incident and crash reports, submit a Right-to-Know request, obtain criminal history through PATCH, and find court records in Northampton County.
Bethlehem Quick Facts
Bethlehem Police Records Overview
The Bethlehem area is unique in that multiple independent police departments provide law enforcement services to communities that share the Bethlehem name. The City of Bethlehem Police Department is the primary agency for incidents occurring within city limits. Its website is available at bethlehem-pa.gov/police, and the department can be reached by phone at (610) 865-7000 or by email at bethlehempolice@bethlehem-pa.gov. For emergencies anywhere in the Bethlehem area, dial 911.
Bethlehem Township, located north of the city, is a legally separate municipality with its own police department. Bethlehem Township Police can be reached at 610-814-6426 during business hours, which run Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. For records involving accidents or incidents that occurred in Bethlehem Township, residents are directed to contact the township police office directly by phone to arrange for report pickup or to inquire about the records request process. The township's records FAQ is available on the official township website at bethlehemtownship.org/police_faqs.
Colonial Regional Police Department serves an area that encompasses portions of the greater Bethlehem region. Colonial Regional is located at 248 Brodhead Road, Bethlehem, PA 18017. Phone: 610-861-4820. Email: info@colonialregionalpd.org. Their non-emergency line is handled through the Northampton County Communications Center at 610-759-2200. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM. Their website is available at colonialregionalpd.org. When identifying which agency to contact for records, it is important to look at the incident report or any documents you received at the scene because the reporting agency name will appear on all official paperwork.
For residents who are unsure which jurisdiction applies to their address, contacting the Northampton County Communications Center at 610-759-2200 can help clarify which police department serves a particular location. This is especially useful when an incident occurred on a border between two jurisdictions or when a caller is unfamiliar with the exact boundaries between Bethlehem City, Bethlehem Township, and Colonial Regional's coverage area.
How to Get a Bethlehem Police Report
The process for obtaining a police report differs depending on which Bethlehem-area agency filed the original report. For incidents handled by the City of Bethlehem Police Department, the starting point is contacting the records division by phone at (610) 865-7000 or by email at bethlehempolice@bethlehem-pa.gov. Staff can confirm whether a report exists and provide instructions for submitting a written request. Having the incident date, location, and any report number assigned at the time of the incident will speed up the search process significantly.
For incidents handled by Bethlehem Township Police, the department requests that you call the office at 610-814-6426 during business hours to initiate your request. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Accident and incident reports are available upon request for those named in or involved with the incident. The township's online FAQ page provides additional guidance on the request process.
For incidents handled by Colonial Regional Police, contact the department by phone at 610-861-4820 or by email at info@colonialregionalpd.org during office hours, Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM. Colonial Regional follows standard Pennsylvania procedures for releasing police records and will advise requesters on required forms, identification, and applicable fees at the time of the request.
Under Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law, records that are not exempt may be requested by any person regardless of their relationship to the incident. However, certain investigative records and records involving juveniles are protected from public disclosure. You should always begin with a direct contact to the relevant department's records office, because many routine incident reports can be obtained through a simple records request without the need to initiate a formal Right-to-Know Law proceeding. Copy fees under the standard PA RTK process are $0.25 per page.
Crash Reports in Bethlehem
Vehicle crash reports for accidents occurring anywhere in the Bethlehem area are processed through the Pennsylvania State Police crash reporting system regardless of which local department responded to the scene. The standard fee for a crash report copy is $22.00. Requests can be submitted online through the Pennsylvania state portal at pa.gov/services/psp/request-a-copy-of-a-vehicle-crash-report. The online portal is the fastest method and typically processes payments electronically.
Mail requests are also accepted. To request a crash report by mail, send your written request along with a check or money order for $22.00 made payable to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to: Pennsylvania State Police, Attn: Crash Reports Unit, 1899 Elmerton Avenue, Harrisburg, PA 17110. Your request should include the date of the accident, the location, the names of the parties involved, and your contact information for follow-up. If you have a crash report number, include it to expedite the search.
It is important to note that crash reports are generally not available until at least 15 days after the date of the incident. This delay reflects the time needed for the investigating officer to complete the report, for it to be reviewed and submitted to the State Police system, and for it to be indexed in the statewide database. Requesting a crash report before this 15-day window has passed will typically result in a notice that the report is not yet available. If you are working with an insurance company or attorney on a claim, advising them of this waiting period in advance can prevent unnecessary follow-up requests.
Crash reports are particularly important for insurance claims, personal injury litigation, and license reinstatement proceedings. In some cases, your insurance company may submit the crash report request on your behalf, so it is worth checking with your insurer before paying the $22.00 fee separately. Attorneys handling personal injury cases in the Bethlehem area regularly use the state PSP crash report system to obtain official documentation of accident details, diagrams, and the investigating officer's narrative.
Bethlehem Right-to-Know Requests
The Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law (65 P.S. §§ 67.101-67.3104) gives any person the right to request access to public records held by Pennsylvania state and local government agencies, including police departments. For records held by the City of Bethlehem Police Department, Right-to-Know requests are submitted to the City of Bethlehem's designated Open Records Officer. The request should identify the records sought with reasonable specificity and include your contact information. The city must respond within five business days of receiving a written request.
For records held by Bethlehem Township Police, RTK requests are submitted to the Bethlehem Township Open Records Officer. Similarly, for Colonial Regional Police records, the request goes to Colonial Regional's designated open records contact. Each agency is independently responsible for responding to RTK requests directed to it. Because Bethlehem Township and Colonial Regional are not part of the City of Bethlehem government, a request sent to city hall will not capture records held by those separate agencies.
The standard copy fee under the RTK Law is $0.25 per page for standard paper copies. Certification fees may also apply if you need a certified copy for legal or official purposes. If your request is expected to generate costs exceeding $100.00, the agency may require a 50% prepayment before processing the request. The agency may also invoke a 30-day review extension for complex or voluminous requests, provided it notifies you in writing within the initial five-day response window.
If a Right-to-Know request is denied in whole or in part, you have the right to appeal the denial to the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records (OOR) within 15 business days of the denial. The OOR is located at 333 Market Street, 16th Floor, Harrisburg, PA 17101. Phone: 717-346-9903. Online: openrecords.pa.gov. The OOR provides a free appeals process and can order an agency to release records if the denial is found to be improper. Note that investigative records, juvenile records, and certain personnel records are commonly cited exemptions that agencies may rely on to withhold otherwise responsive documents.
PATCH and Criminal History in Bethlehem
The Pennsylvania Access To Criminal History (PATCH) system is the primary tool for obtaining statewide criminal conviction history for individuals with records in Pennsylvania, including records originating from arrests and prosecutions in the Bethlehem area and Northampton 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 for online requests are typically returned within minutes.
PATCH results are governed by the Criminal History Record Information Act (CHRIA), 18 Pa.C.S. §§ 9101-9183. Under CHRIA, only convictions and certain final dispositions are included in a standard PATCH response. Arrests that did not result in conviction, charges that were dismissed or nolle prossed, and records that have been expunged under Pennsylvania law are generally excluded from PATCH results. This means that a clean PATCH result does not necessarily mean an individual has never been arrested or charged with a crime.
PATCH is commonly used by employers, landlords, licensing boards, and volunteer organizations to screen individuals prior to employment or appointment. Pennsylvania law restricts how conviction records obtained through PATCH may be used in employment decisions. Employers should be aware of both CHRIA's provisions and any applicable local ordinances before making adverse decisions based on criminal history data. For those seeking their own record, a self-request through PATCH will return the same information available to third-party requesters.
PATCH does not include federal criminal records, records from other states, or expunged records. If a comprehensive multi-jurisdiction background check is required, additional requests to the FBI through the Identity History Summary process and to individual state repositories may also be necessary. For Northampton County-specific records that may not appear in PATCH because they are older or involve non-conviction outcomes, court records through the UJS Portal provide an additional source of information.
Northampton County Court Records
Criminal and civil court records for cases arising in Bethlehem and throughout Northampton County are available through the Unified Judicial System Web Portal at ujsportal.pacourts.us. This free public tool allows anyone to search by name or docket number and view case information from Northampton County Court of Common Pleas and the local magisterial district courts that handle preliminary hearings and minor criminal matters. The portal includes docket sheets with charges filed, hearing dates, case status, and final disposition information.
For cases that originated in Bethlehem, preliminary hearings are typically held before a magisterial district judge. If the case proceeded to trial or sentencing, those records are held by the Northampton County Court of Common Pleas. Both levels of court records are searchable through the UJS Portal at no charge for basic docket information. Certified copies of court documents, which may be required for legal proceedings, expungement petitions, or employment clearances, must be obtained directly from the Northampton County Clerk of Judicial Records.
The Northampton County Courthouse is located at 669 Washington Street, Easton, PA 18042. The Clerk of Judicial Records office handles certified copy requests and can advise on fees, which vary based on the document type and number of pages. If you are seeking records related to a specific case and know the docket number, having that information ready when you contact the clerk's office will significantly speed up the retrieval process. Civil case records, landlord-tenant matters, and domestic relations records are also maintained through the Northampton County court system and are accessible through similar channels.
Bethlehem Crime Statistics
Crime statistics for Bethlehem and surrounding Northampton County communities 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 Bethlehem and other participating municipalities, is published at attorneygeneral.gov/pennsylvania-uniform-crime-reporting-system/. The UCR system aggregates data from local police departments including the City of Bethlehem Police, Bethlehem Township Police, and Colonial Regional Police, enabling year-over-year trend analysis and comparisons between communities of similar size and character.
UCR statistics are reported in categories including violent crime (homicide, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault) and property crime (burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson). Because the Bethlehem area is served by multiple departments, crime figures for each agency are reported separately in the UCR system. Researchers and residents interested in a complete picture of crime trends across the full Bethlehem area should review the data for each reporting agency rather than relying solely on city figures. The City of Bethlehem Police Department also publishes local public safety information through the city's website at bethlehem-pa.gov/police.
Crime statistics reflect only reported incidents and are shaped by many factors including changes in reporting practices, staffing levels, and community relationships with law enforcement. Official figures represent a minimum baseline rather than a complete account of all criminal activity. Residents interested in neighborhood-level safety trends may supplement official UCR data with information from community organizations, local media coverage, and direct engagement with district officers through community policing programs operated by the City of Bethlehem Police Department.
Nearby Pennsylvania Cities
Residents of cities near Bethlehem 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.