Lehigh County Arrest Records

In Lehigh County, law enforcement officers are authorized to arrest individuals who break the law. Once an individual has been arrested and taken into custody, the arresting officer initiates a booking process, which involves documenting details about the circumstances surrounding the arrest and the crime committed.

The officer collects essential identifying information, including photographs, fingerprints, a physical description, personal information, and every other necessary detail that may be relevant. The next step depends on the crime's severity; the arrested individual may be detained in a jail managed by the arresting police department or set free until their arraignment in court.

The primary law enforcement agency in Lehigh County is the Sheriff's Office. It is tasked with maintaining public order, upholding the law, and preventing crime in the county. Individuals interested in obtaining arrest records in Lehigh County may do so by contacting the Sheriff's office. Arrest records may also be obtained via different state and local agencies, including Lehigh County Court records and other databases maintained by either local or state agencies.

Are Arrest Records Public in Lehigh County?

Yes. Based on Pennsylvania's Right to Know Law, arrest records are considered public documents. According to the law, all government agencies in the state are mandated to provide access to records generated during their official function unless otherwise determined by law/court order. In Lehigh, arrest records are usually managed by the local police department or the Sheriff's office. Under the provisions of the Right to Know law, interested individuals may formally request arrest records from either office. Meanwhile, when the arrest was a joint effort of multiple agencies, the request for records may be directed to the agency with custody of the arrested party.

However, under the Pennsylvania Right to Know law, some confidential records are exempt from public disclosure due to privacy and security concerns.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

Public arrest records contain non-confidential details about an individual’s arrest, including:

• Personal Information: The suspect's full name and date of birth
• Arrest Specifics: The time and location of the arrest, as well as the arresting department
• Criminal Charges: The offense the individual is alleged to have committed
• Booking Details: The booking number, date, and photograph
• Court Details: The presiding court and court date

Lehigh County Crime Rate

The Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) publishes annual reports on crime statistics. According to the PSP's 2017 report, Lehigh County recorded 719 violent crimes and 6,957 property crimes. Compared to crime figures for 2013, the county's violent and property crime rates reduced by 10.5% and 22.6%, respectively. There were 20 murders, 81 rapes, 330 robberies, and 288 aggravated assaults. Reported incidences of property crimes include 1,003 burglaries, 5,411 larceny thefts, 520 motor vehicle thefts, and 23 arsons.

Analysis of the five-year figures for Lehigh County indicates that most crime figures dropped compared to 2013. While the murder rate grew by 25%, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault rates dropped by 12%, 11.3%, and 11.1%, respectively. The burglary rate in Lehigh County declined by 49.2% in the same period, while larceny, motor vehicle, and arson rates dipped by 15.2%, 7.1%, and 43.9%, respectively.

Lehigh County Arrest Statistics

The Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) publishes annual reports on crime statistics. According to the PSP's 2020 Annual Uniform Crime Report, Lehigh County had 3,444 reported arrests, with a rate of 2,341.9 arrests per 100,000 inhabitants.

The county's incarceration rate was 0.5% in 2020, with 1,144 inmates in the Lehigh County Correctional Facility. The majority of arrests in Lehigh County were for violent crimes (51.2%), property crimes (43.5%), and drug offenses (5.3%).

Find Lehigh County Arrest Records

Interested parties may get arrest records from local, state, or federal sources. Within the County, the Sheriff’s Office maintains an online database from which users may search for recent arrests. Also, Lehigh County court records are available on the official case search site of the Pennsylvania courts, where individuals may search for the court cases associated with the arrests by indicating the person's name.

The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections provides an inmate tool for individuals seeking arrest records to find persons arrested and incarcerated in state correctional facilities.

At the federal level, the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) may assist individuals in obtaining information on federal inmates. The BOP has records on all offenders convicted of federal crimes. The agency's federal inmate database may be searched with a name or register number.

Free Arrest Record Search in Lehigh County

Interested individuals searching for arrest records in Lehigh County may query the Lehigh County Sheriff's Office. The office has a website showing the most current arrests, outstanding warrants, and detention lists for arrest-related queries. One may explore the website to obtain this information or contact the office in person to get the record.

Alternatively, there is the Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System Search Page. The court maintains some criminal records, such as arrest records, which may be accessed by an individual through the Judicial System web portal. The portal allows searches regarding criminal cases and corresponding arrest records.

Pennsylvania Access to Criminal History (PATCH) also offers a statewide search option, where inquirers may search for arrest records specific to Lehigh County.

However, arrest records are also accessible from local police departments. Many regional police agencies have publicly made arrest records and incident reports on their websites. These may be an excellent source of current and local arrests.

Get Lehigh County Criminal Records

Interested parties may obtain a copy of a criminal history record in Lehigh County. However, the availability and requirements for obtaining the record depend on the record type and the agency involved.

Individuals may fill out the request form at the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office to obtain information about a person's criminal records. Another possible source for the records is the Lehigh County Sheriff's Office, particularly for arrest and warrant records. To inquire about arrest and warrant records in the county, interested individuals may contact the Sheriff's Office at (610) 782-3175.

Records of specific incidents or arrests occurring in certain municipalities within Lehigh County are to be obtained from the local police department where the incident occurred. For a more general search, which includes criminal records from Lehigh County and other areas in Pennsylvania, one should try obtaining a record check from the Pennsylvania State Police through their website, Criminal History Records Checks.

Lehigh County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

Arrest records and criminal records outline an individual’s history with law enforcement and the courts in Lehigh County. Although similar, they are different in content and purposes.

Arrest records result from police action when an individual is arrested in connection with a crime. The documents contain personal data, time, place of arrest, charge details, and information about the police officer effecting the arrest. While an arrest record only shows that a person has been arrested, it is not an indictment of their guilt or any decision in the case by the court.

On the other hand, criminal records provide details about a person's legal history following an arrest. A criminal record includes much information from the arrest itself to the full results of any prosecution, court decision, conviction, sentence, or appeals, and if on probation or parole. Criminal records include details of whether a person has been convicted, acquitted, or received some other type of legal disposition. While arrest records focus on the event of an arrest, a criminal record represents the complete judicial process and its findings.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Arrest records remain on an individual’s record, except expunged or sealed under Pennsylvania state law in Lehigh County. Under 18 Pa. C.S. § 9122, an arrest could be removed entirely from the record when they meet specific eligibility criteria.

Also, summary offense convictions may be expunged five years from the date of conviction if the individual has not been arrested or prosecuted within the period. Expungement is allowed for individuals 70 years old and above, provided they have not been arrested or prosecuted within a continuous period of 10 years after they have been released from supervision. Arrests that led to successfully completing an Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program may also be expunged. Aside from these provisions, arrest records remain on an individual’s file permanently.

Expunge Lehigh County Arrest Records

In Lehigh County, expungement of arrest records is a legal provision to eliminate or seal arrest records from public view when specific eligibility criteria have been met. Individuals may be granted an expungement when:

• They were arrested and not convicted.
• If convicted, they have fulfilled all conditions of the probation or such order of the court.
• They have a clean criminal record with no more charges or convictions.

An individual who meets the conditions for expungement may file a petition with the clerk of the courts of the judicial district in which the charges were dismissed. The petition must include the following:

• The petitioner's name, previous names or aliases, address, date of birth, and social security number;
• The name and address of the judge of the court of common pleas who accepted the guilty plea or heard the case;
• The name and mailing address of the affiant as shown on the complaint, if available
• The Court docket number or the court of common pleas docket number
• The offense tracking number (OTN)
• The date of the arrest, and, if available, the name of the arresting agency
• The exact charges, as they are stated on the charging document, to be expunged;
• The disposition, sentence, and fines paid
• The reason(s) for expungement; and
• An attestation by the petitioner that facts claimed in the petition are true and correct to the best of their knowledge

Copies of the petition must also be supplied to the District Attorney's Office and the Pennsylvania State Police. The court may set a hearing wherein the petitioner may plead their case, and the court will render a determination. If approved, the court issues an order to delete or seal the arrest record, which the relevant agencies would implement.

Lehigh County Arrest Warrants

An arrest warrant is an official order compelling officers of the law to apprehend an individual believed to have committed a crime in Lehigh County. A judge or magistrate issues this warrant after evaluating the evidence provided by law enforcement or prosecutors and establishing sufficient probable cause to justify the arrest.

It begins with evidence of a suspected crime presented to a judge or magistrate. If that judge or magistrate believes probable cause exists of a crime, they will issue an arrest warrant; this authorizes law enforcement to arrest the person and bring them before the court. Arrest warrants are generally issued when a suspect refuses to surrender voluntarily or cannot be located, particularly for serious crimes such as felonies or significant misdemeanors or when a suspect fails to appear in court as required.

An arrest warrant typically includes some significant details. First, it should identify by name and description who the police are arresting, as well as show the charges on which they are arresting them. It will also contain a statement of probable cause sufficient to support the issuance of the warrant, the name of the judge or magistrate issuing it, and its date. Once issued, the warrant is entered into local and national databases, which allows the police to execute the warrant in arresting the individual involved, even across different jurisdictions, if need be. The person on the warrant has the right to be informed of the charges and to contest their arrest in court.

Lehigh County Arrest Warrant Search

The Lehigh County Sheriff’s Office allows interested individuals to search for active warrants through its online portal. The website also displays information on police reports and arrest records of Lehigh County. Alternatively, searchers may check for active warrants in person by visiting the Sheriff's Office during business hours.

Additionally, the Clerk of Courts maintains records of current warrants, which may be retrieved online or by physically visiting the Clerk's office.

Do Lehigh County Arrest Warrants Expire?

Lehigh County arrest warrants don't expire. Once issued, they remain active until the individual is arrested, a judge cancels them, the charges are dropped, or the person dies. Once issued, the arrest warrant is entered into local and national databases. With this, the warrant is executed upon the individual, even across different jurisdictions, if need be.