The Lancaster City Bureau of Police is a full-service police department providing services to the City of Lancaster. The department is the largest and only urban law enforcement agency in Lancaster County, serving nearly 60,000 residents. At full staffing, our workforce consists of approximately 145 sworn officers and 48 civilian employees. The station is located in the heart of downtown making it an optimal location to dispatch our officers when police services are needed.
Lancaster City’s police department was established almost 200 years ago. Our department has deep ties with the community going back to the 1800s. Although our police force has an extensive history, we know we must continually adjust to the cultural changes in our community to be a successful police department.
We believe community-oriented policing is the best way to serve the people, neighborhoods, and businesses in the City of Lancaster. This policing philosophy empowers our officers and civilian staff to build trust and form long-lasting relationships with those we serve.
In order for community-oriented policing to be successful in the City of Lancaster, we must infuse these principles throughout the entire department. To ensure all our officers and senior command staff have a full understanding and appreciation of the philosophy, we have incorporated community-oriented policing into our hiring process, personnel evaluations, and required department training.
We at the Bureau recognize we cannot solve public safety concerns alone. The public plays an important role when developing solutions to help improve the quality of life here in Lancaster City. We are committed to working collaboratively with all community members on solving important issues that will, in turn, help our city continue to thrive.
