Police

The mission of the North Cornwall Township Police Department is “To Protect and Serve.”

To PROTECT with vigilance the safety, rights and property of all by aggressively pursuing violators of the law.

To SERVE with pride, compassion and excellence, striving to provide aid, solve crime, impartially enforcing the laws and support to any and all in need.

“As a Law Enforcement Officer, my fundamental duty is to serve mankind; to safeguard lives and property; to protect the innocent against deception, the weak against oppression or intimidation, and the peaceful against violence or disorder; and to respect the Constitutional rights of all men to liberty, equality and justice.

I will keep my private life unsullied as an example to all; maintain courageous calm in the face of danger, scorn, or ridicule; develop self-restraint; and be constantly mindful of the welfare of others. Honest in thought and deed in both my personal and official life, I will be exemplary in obeying the laws of the land and the regulations of my department. Whatever I see or hear of a confidential nature or that is confided to me in my official capacity will be kept ever secret unless revelation is necessary in the performance of my duty.

I will never act officiously or permit personal feelings, prejudices, animosities or friendships to influence my decisions. With no compromise for crime and with relentless prosecution of criminals, I will enforce the law courteously and appropriately without fear or favor, malice or ill will, never employing unnecessary force or violence and never accepting gratuities.

I recognize the badge of my office as a symbol of public faith, and I accept it as a public trust to be held as long as I am true to the ethics of the police service. I will constantly strive to achieve these objectives and ideals, dedicating myself before God to my chosen profession … law enforcement.”

ADDRESS:

North Cornwall Township Police Department

320 South 18th Street

Lebanon, PA 17042

PHONE:

(717) 274-0464

(717) 274-0465

FAX:

(717) 274-0134

Click here to locate the North Cornwall Township Police Department.

EMAIL ADDRESSES:

Chief of Police Ward – hward@nctown.org

Sgt. Savini – psavini@nctown.org

Cpl. Brandt – bbrandt@nctown.org

Admin. Assistant Knight- tknight@nctown.org

Ptlm. Althouse – jalthouse@nctown.org

Ptlm. Crouse – hcrouse@nctown.org

Ptlm. Groff – cgroff@nctown.org

Ptlm. Hain – bhain@nctown.org

Ptlm. Holley – tholley@nctown.org

Ptlm. Houser – jhouser@nctown.org

Ptlm. Jablonski – cjablonski@nctown.org

Ptlm. Rice – crice@nctown.org

North Cornwall Township is currently accepting applications for an open Full-Time Police Officer position. Please see the NEWS section of this website for more information. 

The North Cornwall Township Police Department currently has a specially trained Field Training Officer or F.T.O. (Patrolman Paul Savini). This officer is assigned a new police officer who has just completed the police academy. The F.T.O. helps the new officer take the information and skills learned from the academy and, in turn, apply that knowledge to the every day world of life as a police officer.

The new officer must successfully complete the 12 week Field Training Program before they can be released on their own to patrol the streets of our community. The F.T.O. also trains the new officer on all departmental rules and policies, along with all of the Township’s ordinances.

Residents may no longer be fingerprinted at the North Cornwall Township Police Department. The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) will now only accept live-scan, digital finger prints. The North Cornwall Township Police can not administer this type of fingerprinting.

If you are in need of fingerprints, you have two options:

1. Pennsylvania State Police (PSP): Contact PSP for fee amount.
2. Central Booking: $25.00 fee; Please call 228-4413 to set up an appointment.

Any North Cornwall Township resident may contact the Police Department when leaving the area, for the purpose of home checks. This can be done in one of several ways.

1. Click on “House Check Form” here. Print the form, complete and return to the Police Department.
2. Call the Police Department at (717) 274-0464 or (717) 274-0465 and speak with an officer.
3. Call the Police Department and leave a message via voicemail. Be prepared to supply the following:
   – Homeowner’s name
   – Address
   – Phone number
   – Date of departure
   – Date of return
   – Name, address & phone number of an emergency contact in the area

WARNING:

House checks are conducted by visual observations only and will only be done when time and manpower permits. The police department offers no guarantee of security of your residence or property and will not be responsible for any damage or theft of property.

Auto Theft Prevention

About every 26 seconds, a vehicle is stolen in the United States. There are certain steps you can take to help prevent being a victim of an auto theft. First, use your common sense:

• Never leave the keys in your vehicle.

• Lock your doors and keep the windows closed at all times.

• Always park in well-lit areas.

• If you valet park, make sure you leave only the valet key.

Second, utilize visible and/or audible deterrent devices, such as The Club, alarm systems, or the horn, if someone suspicious approaches your vehicle.

GPS satellite tracking systems, LOJACK, and motion-disabling systems all work very well to deter or stop auto theft. VIN etching is a process that chemically engraves the vehicle identification number into all of the vehicle’s windows, in the event your vehicle does get stolen.

Are you witnessing potential criminal activity?

Did you know that many criminal cases have been solved and arrests made because citizens have called the North Cornwall Township Police Department to report suspicious persons or activity? Your phone calls DO make a difference! Call 717-274-0464 or 911 if you see any of the following:

• Vehicles circling or driving slowly through the area.

• People loitering or whom you don’t recognize.

• Strange vehicles backed up to a garage door in a residential area.

• Unknown persons walking behind, or seen emerging from, the rear of a home or closed business.

• Someone attempting to hide behind trees or shrubbery.

• Persons lifting up door handles or looking into vehicle windows (in parking lots, at parks, schools, malls, etc.)

If it doesn’t look right, it probably isn’t. Call us right away. You can meet with an officer or speak with one on the phone.

ATTENTION HOME OWNERS ORGANIZATIONS:

If your organization is interested in forming a community crime watch, please contact the Police Department at 717-274-0464.  Crime Watch programs are designed to inform residents of what is happening in their developments and areas.  In addition, members of these neighborhoods are instructed on what they can do to assist the police.  Our officers can help your community organize a crime watch group and plan meetings.

REHA Crime Stoppers

This group is focused in the Runnymede East Development.  REHA Crime Stoppers first met as an organized group on August 3, 2005, and usually conducts meetings in the homes or backyards of people in the neighborhood.  Occasionally, the North Cornwall Township Meeting Room is reserved for a meeting.

REHA Crime Stoppers have addressed various topics at meetings.  These include: Residential/Community Safety, Kid Safety, Fire Safety, Identity Theft, Internet Safety, Self-Defense, R.A.D. (Resist Aggression Defensively) Kids Program, and drugs in Lebanon County.

If living in or visiting Runnymede, keep an eye out for our Crime Watch signs throughout the neighborhood.  We also have an active Neighborhood Emergency Contact System.  This notification system is circulated by a mass email that is sent to everyone on the contact list.  The email notifies those listed of any occurrence in the neighborhood.

If you wish to become involved in REHA Crime Stoppers or to be included in the Runnymede Neighborhood Emergency Contact System, please contact Karen Batra at (717) 926-4405.

The officers of the North Cornwall Township Police Department pride themselves on effectively and efficiently enforcing the traffic laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Each officer routinely engages in traffic enforcement and education as a part of their daily activities.

Traffic enforcement and education are very valuable facets of the overall safety of the Township. It is hoped that between special traffic enforcement details, routine traffic law enforcement, and public education, we can achieve a safer community for motorists using the roadways within the Township, as well as the general travelling public.

In addition to regular traffic enforcement, the North Cornwall Township Police Department utilizes trained and skilled officers to perform other traffic related tasks.

Accident Reconstruction

The North Cornwall Township Police Department is proud and fortunate to have two highly trained Accident Reconstructionists, Patrolman Harry Ward and Patrolman Bradley Hain. Both officers have successfully completed several hundred hours of instruction and practical demonstrations to achieve the qualifications as Pennsylvania Accident Reconstructionists.

Patrolman Ward and Patrolman Hain utilize their skills and expertise to investigate fatal accidents or other serious motor vehicle collisions. Having highly qualified Reconstructionists on staff greatly reduces the North Cornwall Township Police Department’s reliance on other agencies to provide these highly technical services to the community.

DUI Enforcement

In 2008, the North Cornwall Township Police Department started a special in-house Roving DUI program to aggressively target impaired drivers.

The Commonwealth’s Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol or Controlled Substance laws are a vital part of the overall traffic safety vision. Over 75% of motor vehicle crashes after 6:00PM are alcohol related, and several thousand people are killed yearly as a result of impaired-driver related crashes. It is for this reason that the North Cornwall Township Police Department runs an aggressive in-house Roving DUI enforcement program. Officers participating in the program utilize magnetic decals on their patrol vehicles indicating “Roving DUI Patrol.” The Roving DUI enforcement details are conducted at peak impairment hours for greater effectiveness.

ENRADD Speed Details

ENRADD (Electronic Non Radar Device) uses wireless infrared technology to record and transmit the speed of a motor vehicle directly into an ENRADD monitor, which is located in a police car.

“There are two small wireless roadway sensor bars and one receiver/monitor,” the YIS website explains. “Both sensor bars sit on opposite shoulders of the roadway directly across from one another. The sensors are lined up across from one another and transmit/receive two invisible infrared beams of light.”

“When a motor vehicle traverses these invisible beams of light, the ENRADD device immediately calculates the elapsed time that it took the motor vehicle to pass through the invisible beams of light and instantaneously transmits the speed of the vehicle directly to the ENRADD monitor.”

Force Multiplier Sign Campaign

Since traffic enforcement is a top rated concern, the North Cornwall Township Police Department utilizes a unique program that encourages
compliance with traffic laws and acts a “force multiplier” by increasing police presence in the area of enforcement. The “TRAFFIC
ENFORCEMENT HERE” signs are placed throughout the community advising residents of future enforcement and serving as a visual reminder of this citizen concern.

Although many times the signs will indicate enforcement will come to that location on a future date, sometimes the signs will indicate “TODAY,” so that violators will not ignore this important message. This program was originally inspired by the Ephrata Police Department and is successfully used throughout the nation.

• ALWAYS wear your seat belt and shoulder strap.
• ALWAYS place children, under the age of 4, in a car safety seat.
• ALWAYS place the child safety seat in the back seat.
• All children, under the age of 12, should ride in the back seat and use a safety belt.

Frequently Asked Questions

PA State Dog Laws

Right To Know Law

Solicitation License Application

Emergency Alarm Notification Form

Report a Speeding Concern

PA Megan’s Law Offender Website

Do not use this where an emergency or immediate response is needed!

If an emergency exists, dial 911! If you simply wish to speak with an officer, contact the North Cornwall Township Police Department at (717) 274-0464 or (717) 274-0465. If after Police department hours, contact Lebanon County Emergency Management Agency at (717) 272-2054.

For the anonymous tip line, please select one of the following:

1. I would like to provide information concerning a possible crime.
2. I may have information concerning a wanted person or suspect.
3. I have a complaint, or suspect a crime is being or may be committed.
4. I would like a police officer to contact me confidentially.

Magisterial District: 52-3-04

Honorable Judge John W.  Ditzler

138 West Walnut Street

PO BOX 2012

Cleona, PA 17042

Phone: (717)273-0885

Fax: (717) 228-3746

Office Hours 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM