Criminal Justice

Mayor Matt Tuerk of Allentown plans to release his proposed budget this Saturday. Residents are waiting to see what it holds.

At Wednesday's Allentown City Council meeting, the city's police chief requested permission to seek grants from the state to afford a gunshot detection system, new surveillance cameras and other upgrades.

Lehigh County is sitting on $1.7 million for opioid abuse treatment. And millions more are on the way.

The teen, a student at William Allen High School, died at Stevens Park near Sixth and Tilghman streets, authorities said.

Police released details Monday of the threat received last week through the Safe2Say tipline.

Officials learned of the threat through the Safe2Say anonymous messaging system.

Gov. Tom Wolf this week unveiled a plan to provide pardons for people who have been convicted of minor, non-violent marijuana crimes. It could affect thousands in the Lehigh Valley

Muhamad Diop is charged with making terroristic threats and harassment, authorities said.

Councilman Frank Pintabone reintroduced his marijuana decriminalization ordinance at Easton City Council on Wednesday, aiming to turn possession into a summary charge. A vote on the matter is expected in two weeks.

The Lehigh County District Attorney's Office is investigating the fatal shooting that occurred in the 100 block of North 38th Street in South Whitehall on Wednesday afternoon.

Former Hellertown Police Chief Robert Shupp, who was recently sentenced to prison time for stealing money from the borough, is lined up to get about $32,000 in pension contributions with an approval from Borough Council.

Pennsylvania State Police have rolled out 15 RapidHIT ID systems to troops across the commonwealth. The machines are capable of analyzing forensic samples and generating DNA profiles in as little as 90 minutes.

Palmer Township police officer John Smoke faces up to five years in prison. Authorities accused him of sending the photo to a 16-year-old while he was assigned to Easton Area High School as a resource officer.

Police have charged an Easton man in connection with a recent chop shop investigation. Angel Vidal faces several felony and misdemeanor charges as he awaits a preliminary hearing in Northampton County Prison.

Incidents in the dashboard date only to the start of 2024, which Mayor Matt Tuerk and Police Chief Charles Roca have touted as having historically low crime and homicide rates.

Police are seeking witnesses to a hit-and-run crash on Industrial Drive in Bethlehem that left a pedestrian with serious injuries.

The expanded police department’s finish will set in motion another project in downtown Allentown.

The Northampton County Drug Task Force raided four convenience stores Thursday — three in the Slate Belt and one in East Allen Township. Besides the cash seized, authorities said the value of products confiscated surpassed $400,000.

Elijah Patterson, 19, of Allentown, was found guilty of first-degree murder and other charges after a three-day Lehigh County Jury trial in March.

Christian Lopez-Rodriguez, 21, of Allentown, died Oct. 17, 2020, shortly after he was shot during a robbery on the Hamilton Street bridge, according to authorities.