By Amelia Anderson The Philadelphia Police Department, commonly known as PPD, is the municipal law-enforcement agency serving Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It responds to emergencies, investigates crimes, patrols neighbourhoods, enforces traffic laws and provides specialised public-safety services across the city.
Philadelphia Police operates through 20 regular patrol districts organised under six geographic police divisions. The department also maintains a separate airport district at Philadelphia International Airport. Residents should call 911 when they need an officer to respond to a crime, emergency or potentially dangerous situation. Philadelphia’s 311 service is mainly intended for non-emergency city information, neighbourhood complaints and municipal service requests.
Philadelphia Police Department Quick Information
| Information | Details |
| Official name | Philadelphia Police Department |
| Common abbreviation | PPD |
| Headquarters address | 400 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19130 |
| Emergency and police response | 911 |
| Non-emergency city services | 311 |
| Outside-Philadelphia 311 number | 215-686-8686 |
| Police Commissioner’s Office | 215-686-3280 |
| Police Records and Identification | 215-686-3300 |
| Public safety report assistance | 215-686-2266 |
| Paid police record checks | 215-686-3078 |
| Police Victim Services | 215-685-1158 |
| Evidence Custodian Unit | 215-686-3270 |
| Anonymous crime tips | 215-686-8477 |
| Number of regular police districts | 20 |
| Special airport district | 77th District |
| Geographic police divisions | Six |
| County | Philadelphia County |
| Towed-vehicle information | 888-591-3636 |
| Prison locator assistance | 215-685-8394 |
Philadelphia Police Department Headquarters
Philadelphia Police Headquarters is located at:
- Philadelphia Public Safety Building
- 400 N. Broad Street
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19130
The building houses the Police Commissioner’s Office, Records and Identification, administrative offices and several citywide investigative and support units.
The Police Commissioner’s Office can be contacted at 215-686-3280. Police Records and Identification can be reached at 215-686-3300.
People should not travel to headquarters before calling during an emergency. Call 911 when:
- A crime is happening.
- Someone is injured or in immediate danger.
- A firearm or another weapon is involved.
- A suspect remains at or near the scene.
- A serious traffic collision has occurred.
- A child or vulnerable person is missing.
- Immediate police, fire or medical assistance is required.
Philadelphia does not use 311 as a substitute for urgent police dispatch. Call 311 for city-service concerns such as abandoned vehicles, graffiti, illegal dumping, damaged streetlights and other neighbourhood issues that do not require an immediate officer response.
Important Philadelphia Police Phone Numbers
| Police service | Phone number |
| Emergency police response | 911 |
| Non-emergency city information | 311 |
| 311 from outside Philadelphia | 215-686-8686 |
| Police Commissioner’s Office | 215-686-3280 |
| Records and Identification | 215-686-3300 |
| Public safety report assistance | 215-686-2266 |
| Paid record checks | 215-686-3078 |
| Police Victim Services | 215-685-1158 |
| Evidence Custodian Unit | 215-686-3270 |
| Crime Scene Unit | 215-685-3120 |
| Anonymous crime tips | 215-686-8477 |
| Public Affairs | 215-686-3388 |
| Prison locator assistance | 215-685-8394 |
| Towed-vehicle assistance | 888-591-3636 |
Specialised-unit numbers are mainly intended for information and case follow-up. A new crime requiring an officer should normally be reported through 911 or at the district station responsible for the incident location.
Philadelphia Police Districts
Philadelphia has 20 regular police districts and one special airport district. The districts are grouped into Central, East, Northeast, Northwest, South and Southwest divisions.
| District | Address | Phone number |
| 1st District | 24th Street and Wolf Street | 215-686-3010 |
| 2nd District | 7306 Castor Avenue | 215-686-3020 |
| 3rd District | 11th Street and Wharton Street | 215-686-3030 |
| 5th District | Ridge Avenue and Cinnaminson Street | 215-686-3050 |
| 7th District | Bustleton Avenue and Bowler Street | 215-686-3070 |
| 8th District | Academy Road and Red Lion Road | 215-686-3080 |
| 9th District | 400 N. Broad Street | 215-686-3090 |
| 12th District | 65th Street and Woodland Avenue | 215-686-3120 |
| 14th District | Haines Street and Germantown Avenue | 215-686-3140 |
| 15th District | Harbison Avenue and Levick Street | 215-686-3150 |
| 16th District | 39th Street and Lancaster Avenue | 215-686-3160 |
| 17th District | 20th Street and Federal Street | 215-686-3170 |
| 18th District | 55th Street and Pine Street | 215-686-3180 |
| 19th District | 61st Street and Thompson Street | 215-686-3190 |
| 22nd District | 17th Street and Montgomery Avenue | 215-686-3220 |
| 24th District | 3901 Whitaker Avenue | 215-686-3240 |
| 25th District | 3901 Whitaker Avenue | 215-686-3250 |
| 26th District | East Girard Avenue and Montgomery Avenue | 215-686-3260 |
| 35th District | North Broad Street and Champlost Street | 215-686-3350 |
| 39th District | 22nd Street and Hunting Park Avenue | 215-686-3390 |
| 77th Airport District | 8800 Essington Avenue | 215-937-6918 |
The 24th and 25th districts share the same facility but have separate commands and telephone numbers.
Residents can identify their district by entering an exact street address into the department’s district search. District boundaries do not always follow ZIP codes, neighbourhood names or City Council districts.
Philadelphia Police Divisions
The city’s regular police districts are organised into six geographic divisions.
1. Central Police Division
The Central Division includes the 9th and 22nd districts. It covers Center City, parts of North Philadelphia and surrounding neighbourhoods.
2. East Police Division
The East Division includes the 24th, 25th and 26th districts. It serves communities in eastern and lower northeastern Philadelphia.
3. Northeast Police Division
The Northeast Division includes the 2nd, 7th, 8th and 15th districts. It serves a large part of Northeast Philadelphia.
4. Northwest Police Division
The Northwest Division includes the 5th, 14th, 35th and 39th districts. It covers areas including Germantown, Mount Airy, Manayunk, Roxborough, Logan and surrounding communities.
5. South Police Division
The South Division includes the 1st, 3rd and 17th districts. It serves South Philadelphia neighbourhoods and major commercial and entertainment areas.
6. Southwest Police Division
The Southwest Division includes the 12th, 16th, 18th and 19th districts. The 77th Airport District is also associated with operations in the southwest part of the city.
Main Philadelphia Police Units
PPD patrol districts are supported by specialised investigative and operational units.
Major units investigate:
- Homicides
- Robberies
- Sexual offences
- Domestic violence
- Child abuse
- Missing persons
- Auto theft
- Burglary and property crime
- Financial crime
- Narcotics
- Organised crime
- Human trafficking
- Gun violence
The department also operates tactical teams, K-9 units, mounted officers, traffic officers, marine personnel, aviation support and forensic services.
A case normally begins with a district patrol officer. Serious cases may then be transferred to a divisional detective unit or citywide specialised unit.
What County Is Philadelphia Police In?
The Philadelphia Police Department is located in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania.
The City of Philadelphia and Philadelphia County have the same geographic boundaries. PPD therefore provides regular municipal police services throughout the consolidated city-county.
However, several other law-enforcement agencies operate within Philadelphia. These include:
- Pennsylvania State Police
- Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office
- SEPTA Transit Police
- University police departments
- School police
- Federal law-enforcement agencies
- Port and transportation authorities
The Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office is not the city’s primary patrol agency. Its main responsibilities involve courts, prisoner transportation, judicial security and service of legal documents.
How to File a Philadelphia Police Report
Philadelphia does not currently provide a broad online crime-reporting system for ordinary theft, vandalism, burglary or similar police reports.
A person who needs an official crime report should normally:
- Call 911 and request an officer.
- Visit the police district serving the incident location.
- Provide the exact location and details of the incident.
- Give the officer any available evidence or suspect information.
Even when a crime is no longer in progress, 911 may be used when an officer is required to take the report.
The online tip form is not a replacement for an official police report. It is intended for providing information about criminal activity, wanted suspects or neighbourhood concerns.
Reporting a Stolen Vehicle
A stolen vehicle should be reported immediately by calling 911.
The registered owner should provide:
- Vehicle identification number
- Licence plate number
- Year, make and model
- Vehicle colour
- Registered owner’s details
- Last known location
- Approximate time of disappearance
- Information about available keys
Before reporting the vehicle stolen, check whether it was legally towed or temporarily relocated because of road work, an event or a temporary parking restriction.
Obtaining Police and Crash Reports
Copies of police incident reports and other public-safety records are handled through the City of Philadelphia Department of Records.
The Public Safety Records Unit is located at:
- City Hall, Room 170
- 1400 John F. Kennedy Boulevard
- Philadelphia, PA 19107
Public hours are generally Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For assistance, call 215-686-2266.
Crash reports can be requested online. Police incident or offence reports generally must be requested by mail or in person.
A request should include:
- Police district control number
- Incident date
- Exact location
- Names of involved people
- Type of report
- Requester’s relationship to the case
- Required identification and payment
Crash reports may take approximately two to three weeks. Police incident or offence reports may take approximately 10 to 12 weeks.
Some records may be redacted or withheld when they involve juveniles, protected victims, confidential witnesses or active investigations.
Police Record Checks and Letters of Good Conduct
Police record checks and letters of good conduct can also be requested through the Department of Records.
These documents may be needed for:
- Employment
- Immigration
- Licensing
- Adoption
- Court proceedings
- Personal records
The Records and Identification Unit can be contacted at 215-686-3300. Paid record-check assistance is available at 215-686-3078.
A Philadelphia police record check is not necessarily the same as a statewide Pennsylvania or nationwide FBI background check.
Evidence and Property Retrieval
Property collected by Philadelphia Police may be stored at a district, divisional headquarters, the Evidence Custodian Unit or another authorised facility.
To ask about recovering property, contact the investigator assigned to the case or call the Evidence Custodian Unit at 215-686-3270.
The owner should have:
- Government-issued identification
- Police property receipt
- District control number
- Proof of ownership
- Court or investigator release when required
Evidence cannot normally be released while it is needed for an investigation, prosecution or court proceeding.
Towed and Relocated Vehicles
The Philadelphia Parking Authority handles many impounded vehicles.
To locate a vehicle towed by the Parking Authority, call:
888-591-3636
Vehicle owners may need to pay outstanding parking, red-light camera and speed-camera tickets, along with towing and storage charges, before the vehicle is released.
Required documents normally include:
- Valid driver’s licence
- Current vehicle registration
- Proof of insurance
- Payment and release documents
PPD may sometimes relocate a vehicle without issuing a ticket or placing it in an impound lot. This can happen when a vehicle is parked in a temporary no-stopping zone during construction, events or emergency work.
When a vehicle appears to have been relocated, contact the police district where it was originally parked.
Philadelphia Police and City Prisons
Philadelphia Police makes arrests, but it does not operate the city prison system.
The Philadelphia Department of Prisons manages four correctional facilities. People can search for an incarcerated person using the individual’s full name and date of birth or police identification number.
Locator assistance is available 24 hours a day at:
- 215-685-8394
- 215-685-8395
- 215-685-8396
The general Department of Prisons number is 215-685-7711.
A recently arrested person may not appear immediately while identification, medical screening, arraignment and transfer procedures are being completed.
Complaints About Philadelphia Police Employees
Formal complaints against Philadelphia police officers or employees are handled by the Internal Affairs Bureau.
Complaints can be submitted:
- Online
- By email
- By mail
- In person
A complaint should include:
- Incident date and time
- Exact location
- Officer’s name or badge number, when known
- Police district or vehicle number
- District control number
- Witness information
- Photographs or recordings
- A clear description of what occurred
A complaint may still be submitted when the officer’s identity is unknown. The date, location, patrol-car number and physical description may help identify the employee.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Does Philadelphia Police have a non-emergency police number?
A: Philadelphia lists 311 for non-emergency city information. However, when an officer is needed to take a crime report, residents may be instructed to call 911 or visit a police district.
Q: How many police districts are in Philadelphia?
A: PPD has 20 regular geographic districts. It also operates the special 77th District at Philadelphia International Airport.
Q: Can I file a Philadelphia police report online?
A: Philadelphia does not currently offer a general online system for filing ordinary crime reports. Call 911 or visit the district responsible for the incident location.
Q: Can I report a stolen vehicle through 311?
A: No. A stolen vehicle should be reported to police by calling 911.
Q: Is Philadelphia located in a county?
A: Yes. Philadelphia is in Philadelphia County. The city and county share the same boundaries.
Q: Does Philadelphia Police operate the city prisons?
A: No. The Philadelphia Department of Prisons operates the correctional facilities.
Q: How can I find my police district?
A: Use the department’s address-based district search or call 311 for help locating the correct district.
Q: How do I locate a towed vehicle?
A: Call the Philadelphia Parking Authority at 888-591-3636. When the vehicle may have been temporarily relocated, contact the police district where it was parked.
Q: Can another person collect my property from the police?
A: Possibly. Written authorisation, proof of ownership and approval from the investigator or court may be required.
Q: Can I request body-camera video with an ordinary police report form?
A: No. Police audio and video recordings follow a separate Pennsylvania Act 22 request process. Requests generally must be submitted within 60 days of the recording.