By Amelia Anderson The Lancaster Police Department in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, is officially known as the Lancaster City Bureau of Police (LCBP). It is a full-service municipal law-enforcement agency responsible for protecting residents, businesses and visitors within Lancaster city limits. The bureau has served the city since 1865 and is the largest urban law-enforcement agency in Lancaster County.
Call 911 whenever circumstances require officers immediately—for example, when violence is occurring, a break-in is underway, a person is being threatened, or someone may suffer serious harm. For incidents that are not emergencies or crimes that have already occurred, call 717-664-1180. The police administration number is 717-735-3300.
Lancaster Police operates from one central station and assigns patrol officers to neighbourhood sectors rather than maintaining several separate public precinct stations.
Lancaster Police Department Quick Information
| Information | Details |
| Official name | Lancaster City Bureau of Police |
| Common abbreviation | LCBP |
| Police station | 39 W. Chestnut Street, Lancaster, PA 17603 |
| Emergency number | 911 |
| Non-emergency dispatch | 717-664-1180 |
| Administration | 717-735-3300 |
| Records Unit | 717-735-6670 |
| Acting police chief | Randell Zook |
| Professional Standards | 717-719-2481 |
| Main divisions | Patrol, Criminal Investigative and Administrative Services |
| Patrol system | Neighborhood sectors |
| Patrol platoons | Four |
| County | Lancaster County |
| Online crime reporting | No general online crime-report system |
| Lancaster County Prison | 625 E. King Street, Lancaster, PA 17602 |
| County Prison telephone | 717-299-7800 |
As of August 2026, Randell Zook is serving as Acting Chief. Former Chief Richard Mendez retired in December 2025, and the bureau’s current official leadership page lists Zook as acting chief.
Lancaster Police Department Address
The main police station is located at:
- 39 West Chestnut Street, Lancaster, Pennsylvania 17603
- Non-emergency: 717-664-1180
- Administration: 717-735-3300
The police station is in downtown Lancaster and serves as the central location for patrol administration, criminal investigations, Records, Professional Standards and other police services.
Residents may visit or contact the station to:
- Make a delayed police report
- Request accident or other available records
- Ask about recovered property
- File a civilian complaint
- Obtain information about a police case
- Ask about a vehicle towed by police
- Request certain background or good-conduct records
The front desk is also staffed for complaint intake. The department states that an on-duty Desk Sergeant is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Lancaster Police Patrol Division
The Patrol Division provides frontline police service throughout Lancaster.
Unlike departments that divide a city among traditional precinct stations, Lancaster assigns patrol officers to neighborhood sectors. Officers may patrol their assigned areas by vehicle, bicycle or on foot. Residents can use the bureau’s interactive sector map to determine which sector covers a particular address.
The department currently operates four patrol platoons on rotating shifts. At full staffing, each platoon is structured with four sergeants and 16 officers.
Patrol duties include:
- Answering emergency and non-emergency calls
- Investigating initial crime reports
- Enforcing criminal laws and city ordinances
- Traffic enforcement
- Crowd control
- Searching for suspects
- Interviewing victims and witnesses
- Securing crime scenes
- Conducting neighbourhood patrol
- Preparing police reports
The Patrol Division also oversees several support functions.
Patrol Services
Patrol Services includes:
- Parking Enforcement
- Traffic Enforcement
- Animal Control
- Special Events
Lancaster Police officers and community-service personnel may therefore handle traffic complaints, unsafe vehicles, city events and certain animal-related matters in addition to conventional criminal-law enforcement.
Office of Community Engagement
The Patrol Division also includes the Office of Community Engagement, which incorporates:
- K-9 Unit
- School Resource Officers
- Police Social Workers
The bureau describes community policing as a central part of its operating philosophy, with officers encouraged to develop relationships with residents and businesses and address problems before they develop into more serious crime.
Criminal Investigative Division
The Criminal Investigative Division (CID) handles serious crimes and cases requiring additional work beyond the initial patrol response.
Its major sections include the Major Crime Unit and Special Investigations Unit.
1. Major Crime Unit
The Major Crime Unit investigates violent and property-related offences, including:
- Serious assaults
- Firearms offences
- Gang-related crime
- Drug-trafficking organizations
- Theft
- Burglary
- Fraud
- Forgery
The Auto Crime Unit operates within Major Crime and focuses on vehicle theft, theft from vehicles and insurance-fraud investigations.
2. Special Investigations Unit
The Special Investigations Unit investigates cases involving:
- Crimes against children
- Child sexual-exploitation material
- Human trafficking
- Sexual offences
- Missing persons
- Elder abuse
The unit also works with federal, state and local agencies, including participation in an FBI child-exploitation task force.
3. Selective Enforcement Unit
Lancaster Police also maintains a Selective Enforcement Unit that can be deployed for targeted assignments such as speed enforcement and drug-enforcement operations.
Administrative Services Division
The Administrative Services Division supports patrol and investigations and includes:
- Records Unit
- Jail and Communications Section
- Training Unit
- Office of Professional Standards
The Records Unit archives reports, prepares files needed for court proceedings and provides available incident information to eligible requesters and insurance companies.
The Office of Professional Standards investigates civilian complaints concerning police officers and other bureau employees.
What County Is Lancaster Police Department In?
The Lancaster City Bureau of Police is located in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
LCBP serves the City of Lancaster, not the entire county. Lancaster County contains numerous municipalities with their own police departments or regional police services.
The Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office is also separate from Lancaster City Police. The Sheriff’s Office handles functions associated with the county courts and other county responsibilities, while LCBP provides municipal patrol and criminal-investigation services within Lancaster city boundaries.
A postal address containing “Lancaster” does not necessarily establish city-police jurisdiction. Residents unsure about jurisdiction should give dispatch the exact incident location.
Filing a Lancaster Police Report
Lancaster Police does not currently accept general crime reports through its website contact form. The department specifically states that the online contact form cannot be used to report incidents or request an officer.
To make a police report:
- Dial 911 for an urgent incident
- Call 717-664-1180 for a non-emergency
- Visit the police station at 39 W. Chestnut Street
Calling the police directly is especially important when:
- A suspect is known
- A vehicle has been stolen
- Physical evidence is present
- Surveillance video identifies a suspect
- A firearm is missing or stolen
- Someone entered a home or business
- Officers need to examine the scene
Keep the case number provided by the officer. It can help when communicating with investigators, insurance companies or the Records Unit.
Obtaining Police and Accident Records
The Records Unit is located on the third floor of the police station.
Records Unit: 717-735-6670
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Visitors must first sign in at the front desk and obtain a visitor badge. A valid, current form of identification is required.
Current charges include:
| Record or Service | Fee |
| Accident report | $15 |
| Verification letter | $15 |
| Good Conduct Letter | $22 |
| Local background check | $22 |
An accident report can be released only to an eligible requester named in the report. Verification letters are provided to people named in incidents reported to Lancaster Police.
A Lancaster Police background check covers only incidents within its jurisdiction. Statewide Pennsylvania criminal-history checks must be obtained separately through the state system.
Reports undergo review before release, so availability depends on the status of the report.
Recovered and Lost Property
When Lancaster Police recovers stolen property or receives found property and can identify its owner, the bureau attempts to contact that person.
The owner is generally sent a letter with instructions for contacting CID Evidence Technicians and arranging collection.
If property remains unclaimed for more than 30 days after the applicable notification period, it may be treated as abandoned and disposed of according to bureau procedures.
Anyone collecting property should be prepared to provide identification and evidence of ownership.
Evidence required for an active criminal investigation or court case may remain in police custody until investigators or legal authorities approve its release.
Towed Vehicles and Parking Tickets
People who believe their vehicle was towed by Lancaster City Police can use the bureau’s online tow search. The search can be performed using information such as:
- Licence-plate number
- Vehicle identification number
- Tow date
Parking citations are handled by the Lancaster Parking Authority, not by the Police Bureau or City Treasury. Police officers and Community Service Aides may issue parking tickets, but payments are processed through the Parking Authority.
A police hold on a vehicle may prevent release until the legal or investigative reason for the hold has been resolved.
Complaints About Lancaster Police Employees
Civilian complaints may be submitted 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The department recommends first contacting the on-duty Desk Sergeant. A Street Sergeant or Officer in Charge may also attempt to resolve the concern. If the issue cannot be resolved, a formal Civilian Complaint Form may be filed.
Office of Professional Standards: 717-719-2481
Complaint forms are available at the police station and through the department’s website.
Helpful information includes:
- Incident date and time
- Exact location
- Officer’s name, if known
- Officer or vehicle description
- Police report or citation number
- Witness information
- Photographs, recordings or video
A complainant does not have to know the officer’s name. The Professional Standards investigator will attempt to identify the employee from available information.
Lancaster County Prison Information
Lancaster City Police does not operate the county correctional facility.
People arrested by Lancaster Police who require continued detention may enter the Lancaster County correctional system.
- Lancaster County Prison
- 625 East King Street
- Lancaster, PA 17602
- Q: Telephone: 717-299-7800
The county confirms 625 East King Street as the current prison location and provides an online public inmate-search service.
Questions involving continued custody, inmate status or prison services should be directed to Lancaster County rather than the City Police Records Unit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the Lancaster Police non-emergency number?
A: Call 717-664-1180 for police matters that do not require an immediate emergency response.
Q: Who is the current Lancaster Police chief?
A: As of August 2026, Randell Zook is Acting Chief of the Lancaster City Bureau of Police.
Q: Can I file a Lancaster police report online?
A: The bureau does not currently accept ordinary police reports through its website contact form. Call 717-664-1180 or visit the police station to make a non-emergency report.
Q: Does Lancaster Police operate the Lancaster County Prison?
A: No. Lancaster City Police handles municipal law enforcement, while Lancaster County operates the prison at 625 East King Street.