Perry County Police Blotter Records and Public Access
Perry County is a small, largely rural county in central Pennsylvania, situated just west of the Susquehanna River with about 47,000 residents spread across New Bloomfield and the surrounding townships. The Perry County police blotter covers incident reports and arrest logs from the Sheriff's Office, local police departments, and Pennsylvania State Police patrols throughout the county. This page walks through where to find police blotter records and how to request them from the agencies that serve Perry County.
Perry County Quick Facts
Perry County Sheriff's Office
The Perry County Sheriff's Office handles firearm licenses, civil process, and county-level law enforcement support from its main office at 2 East Main Street, P.O. Box 6, New Bloomfield, PA 17068. Reach the office by phone at (717) 582-5123. The Sheriff plays a central role in public safety for this rural county where State Police handle a large share of day-to-day patrol coverage.
The Perry County Sheriff's Office page at perryco.org provides information on law enforcement services, firearm licenses, and civil process for this small central Pennsylvania county.
Residents can submit public records requests through the RTK Officer at P.O. Box 37, New Bloomfield, and reach the office at 717-582-2131 ext.4100.
The Sheriff's Office page is at perryco.org/departments/sheriffs-office/. This page lists services provided by the Sheriff and explains how to apply for a firearm license in Perry County. For records requests and Right-to-Know matters, Perry County directs residents to the county's RTK Officer. The RTK Officer contact is P.O. Box 37, New Bloomfield, PA 17068, phone 717-582-2131 ext. 4100.
| Sheriff's Office |
Perry County Sheriff's Office 2 East Main Street, P.O. Box 6 New Bloomfield, PA 17068 Phone: (717) 582-5123 |
|---|---|
| RTK Officer |
P.O. Box 37 New Bloomfield, PA 17068 Phone: 717-582-2131 ext. 4100 |
| Sheriff Website | perryco.org/departments/sheriffs-office/ |
Perry County Right-to-Know Policy
Perry County has a formal Right-to-Know policy that guides how public records requests are handled throughout the county. The policy document is available as a PDF download directly from the county website. Access it at perryco.org. Read this policy before you submit a request for Perry County police blotter records. It explains the process, the designated RTK Officer, and the timelines that apply.
Under Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law at 65 P.S. §§ 67.101-67.3104, Perry County agencies must respond to records requests within five business days. The RTK Officer coordinates responses from all county departments. For police blotter records from the Sheriff's Office, direct your request to the RTK Officer at P.O. Box 37, New Bloomfield, PA 17068. If you need records from a local police department in Perry County, contact that department's open records officer directly.
Note: Perry County's RTK policy PDF can be downloaded from the county website and sets out the full process for requesting public records including police blotter entries.
Pennsylvania State Police and Perry County Law Enforcement
Pennsylvania State Police are the primary patrol agency for much of Perry County. Rural townships without their own police department rely on State Police coverage. That means a large share of Perry County police blotter entries come from State Police incident reports rather than local departments. Understanding this is key when deciding where to send your records request.
Submit State Police RTK requests online at pa.gov. State Police handle their own records separately from Perry County agencies. Your request goes to the State Police headquarters, not the Perry County Sheriff or RTK Officer. Include the incident date, the specific location in Perry County, and a description of the incident you are looking for to speed up the search process.
The Pennsylvania State Police PIRRS system at pa.gov publishes summaries of State Police activity statewide on a regular schedule. These include Perry County incidents handled by State Police. Reviewing PIRRS is a fast way to spot relevant incidents before filing a formal request. It saves you time and helps you build a more precise RTK request when you do submit one for Perry County.
State Police RTK requests for Perry County incidents are submitted directly to the State Police, separate from the county RTK Officer process.
Perry County Court Records and Arrest Data
Arrests in Perry County lead to court filings at the magisterial district courts across the county or at the Perry County Court of Common Pleas in New Bloomfield. All of these court records are open to the public. Search them at the Unified Judicial System Portal, ujsportal.pacourts.us. Enter a party name or docket number to find cases tied to police blotter entries from Perry County.
Court dockets give you the full picture of how a case unfolded after an arrest. They list every charge, every hearing, bail amounts, and the final outcome. A police blotter entry captures the initial response and what officers found at the scene. The court docket picks up where the blotter leaves off. Together they give you the most complete view of a law enforcement event in Perry County. The Pennsylvania Courts website at pacourts.us provides guidance on how to read dockets and navigate the court system across all 67 Pennsylvania counties.
Criminal History Records for Perry County
The Pennsylvania Access To Criminal History system is available at epatch.pa.gov for $22 per search. PATCH gives you a statewide criminal history summary for an individual. It is not a Perry County police blotter lookup, but it can confirm whether someone has a criminal record on file with the State Police across all of Pennsylvania.
PATCH may not include very recent Perry County arrests that have not yet been entered into the state system. For current police blotter information, a Right-to-Know request to the relevant Perry County agency is more reliable. PATCH is most useful after a case has closed and the conviction or adjudication has been recorded in the state database. Use it as a complement to blotter records and court docket searches, not as a substitute for them in Perry County.
Criminal history record rules in Pennsylvania are set out in 18 Pa.C.S. Chapter 91, which governs how agencies collect, store, and release criminal record information across the state.
PATCH covers all 67 Pennsylvania counties and reflects criminal history data maintained by the State Police at the statewide level.
Appealing a Denied Records Request in Perry County
If a Perry County agency denies your request for police blotter records, you have the right to appeal. Send your appeal to the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records at openrecords.pa.gov. The appeal is free to file. The Office of Open Records reviews the agency's denial and issues a final ruling within 30 days in most cases.
Your appeal must be filed within 15 business days of receiving the denial. Include a copy of your original request, the agency's denial letter, and a brief statement of why you believe the records should be released. The Office of Open Records applies the Right-to-Know Law at 65 P.S. §§ 67.101-67.3104 and issues binding decisions. Perry County agencies must comply with those decisions. If you want to take the matter further, you can appeal an adverse Office of Open Records decision to the Perry County Court of Common Pleas.
Note: The appeal process is the same whether your request was denied by the Perry County Sheriff, a local police department, or any other county agency.
Nearby Counties
Perry County shares borders with four other central Pennsylvania counties. If an incident occurred near a county line, the police blotter record may be held by an agency in a neighboring county.