Criminal Justice

Authorities believe the same person or people are responsible for the break-ins due to the proximity and times of the calls. Police say there have been 16 reported thefts the past week and more unsuccessful attempts to enter locked vehicles.

A new study from the Lehigh Valley Justice Institute of the area's local courts found a link between time spent in jail awaiting trial and harsher prison sentences.

Authorities cleared the synagogue Thursday and determined the threat was unfounded after receiving an email indicating explosives would go off, a security official said.

Former Hellertown Borough Police Chief Robert Shupp appeared in court Monday, charged with 18 counts for to allegedly taking $122,000 in borough funds.

The crash happened about 1:15 a.m. Sunday in the 300 block of West Hamilton Street. Police say the driver of the vehicle wasn't hurt and their investigation is continuing.

The crash occurred around 1:15 a.m. Sunday in the 300 block of Hamilton Street in Allentown, according to police.

Ed Smith served nearly a decade on the federal bench after a career as a military lawyer and a Northampton County judge. He died Monday.

Jim Martin, who has served as Lehigh County district attorney for a quarter-century, played a major role in the launch of the Regional Intelligence and Investigation Center.

Joshua Steven Gonzalez, 39, of South Whitehall Township, is accused of possessing child pornography after a detective allegedly traced videos to his computer.

A new ordinance in Lehigh County solidifies an agreement with the state Transportation Department to get formerly incarcerated people official state IDs either right at release or soon after.

The Lehigh County Sheriff’s Office recently received accreditation from The Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association.

COVID-19 cases are on the rise at the Northampton County Prison (NCP) where just under half of the jail’s nearly 600 inmates are vaccinated.

By a unanimous decision, Allentown City Council named Charles Roca the city’s new chief of police.

Newly released FBI data show hate crimes in the U.S. hit a 12-year high in 2020.

A Pennsylvania State Police Officer recalls when United Flight 93 crashed into a Somerset County field on September 11th, 2001.

The Lehigh County jail has held two voluntary mass clinics with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine since May, putting shots into 322 arms. Corrections Director Janine Donate said now they’ve switched strategies: they are waiting until they get enough inmates interested - about four or five - to use up a vial of vaccine.

The Allentown Police Department is hoping to expand a program that could reduce some interactions with law enforcement and help connect people with social services.

The Bethlehem Police Department is once again hosting its annual Citizens Police Academy after a pandemic-related hiatus.

Lehigh Valley advocates for criminal justice reform are calling on area law enforcement departments to increase transparency, emphasizing how use-of-force incidents are documented.

Allentown City Councilwoman Ce-Ce Gerlach denies any wrongdoing after being charged with child endangerment in Lehigh County and says she has not committed any crimes.

Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin announced charges June 29 against Allentown City Councilwoman Ce-Ce Gerlach for endangering the welfare of a child and failing to report suspected child abuse, both misdemeanors.

A freshman Philadelphia Democrat has set off a firestorm in Harrisburg by proposing a bill that would establish new mandatory minimum sentences — an approach much more in line with Republicans’ criminal justice platform than his own party’s.