Criminal Justice

Allentown's police chief, Charles Roca, is looking to grow the number of officers patrolling city streets, add new vehicles to the city's fleet and is investigating the possibility of installing gunshot detection equipment in neighborhoods across the city.

LCTI students were either evacuated from the building or sent back to home schools if en route

Former Bethlehem police officer Noah Klingborg is charged with stalking and harassment, the Northampton County District Attorney's Office said Tuesday.

The 77-year-old motorist received two citations and will not face serious criminal charges in the death of teacher's aide Angela Yowakim, the Lehigh County District Attorney's Office said.

Two county administrators will appear before Northampton County Council to answer questions about the staff shortage and the juvenile justice center's future.

A newly released report from the nonprofit Lehigh Valley Justice Institute shows the impact marijuana offenses have on the local court system and the difference in how individuals are charged in Allentown and Bethlehem.

The incident has prompted the Bethlehem Area School District and city police plan to ramp up security measures at future games.

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.

Christopher Schweikert, 29, pleaded guilty to producing pornographic images of a student he engaged in sexual contact. He still faces related charges in Northampton County Court.

Gabriel Cartagena was "considered armed and dangerous," District Attorney Gavin Holihan said Thursday, two days after Allentown police said there was no ongoing danger to the public related to last weekend's shootings.

Packages stolen before they have a chance to be received are often deemed as being taken by “porch pirates,” who now may face stricter consequences under Pa. law.

The Lehigh County coroner identified a 44-year-old woman and a 1-year-old boy who died in a chaotic night of gunfire in Allentown late Friday.

Gavin Holihan took the oath of office Tuesday morning as Lehigh County's new district attorney. He said he'll divert resources away from penny-ante issues to focus on battling violent crime.

In the wake of a trio of shootings in Allentown Friday night that left two dead and six more injured, some of the city's political, civic and religious leaders met Sunday to call for action.

The 1-year-old and a 44-year-old woman were among three people shot in a home in the 100 block of Chestnut Street in Allentown. Over the next several hours, five more people would be shot in two more separate shooting incidents.

Two shootings occurred around 9 p.m. Friday. Authorities found two people dead in a house in the 100 block of Chestnut Street in Allentown's First Ward, the incoming Lehigh County district attorney said. One of them was a 1-year-old boy, the coroner said.

Under the bill, gun owners could lose their license to carry if they try to take a loaded weapon onto a plane. This would be similar to losing a license for possessing a small amount of marijuana, one lawmaker said.

"Be aware, set your alarms," Lower Saucon Township Police Chief Thomas Barndt said at a township council meeting.

Lehigh County Courthouse is expected to reopen a week after fire sprinklers damaged the building's electrical system Tuesday night.

The social studies teacher at William Allen High School was accused of drug crimes following a March raid of her home by the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office. She resigned a few weeks later, citing "personal" reasons.