Duties
The Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office prides itself in being a professional, service oriented law enforcement agency with a wide array of duties. Deputies are sworn and commissioned law enforcement officers that have the authority to make arrests for statutory breaches of the peace as defined in Title 18 (PA Crimes Code), and issue citations for violations of Title 75 (PA Vehicle Code). Deputies also assist other local law enforcement agencies within the county upon request. Additional duties include:
Court Security/Security Posts:
Lancaster County Courthouse – Deputies provide security for the Court of Common Pleas at the Lancaster County Courthouse entrance by screening the public and County employees. Every day, deputies screen approximately 1500 people through our magnetometers and scan approximately 1300 items through our x-ray machines in their efforts to exclude contraband from the Courthouse. Deputies also provide security for fifteen judges and courtrooms, and other court related offices within the Courthouse.
Lancaster County Government Center – Deputies also provide security at the entrance of the Lancaster Governmental Center. The Government Center houses most of Lancaster County’s non-court related agencies.
Lancaster County Adult Probation and Parole Services – Deputies provide security for Adult Probation and Parole Services located in Lancaster City.
Civil Process/Real and Personal Property Executions:
Service of Civil Process - Deputies are responsible for the service of civil process within the County of Lancaster to include Civil Actions (Local and Foreign), Domestic Relations Notices, Forfeiture and Rule Court Orders, Protection from Abuse Court Orders, Writs of Transportation, Garnishments, conducting Levies, Real Estate Evictions and Possessions and Notice of Sale Postings. The Office also conducts judicial sales of personal property.
ACT 79/PFA Weapons - The Office is responsible for the seizure, processing, storage, inventory, destruction, sale and return of weapons seized pursuant to ACT 79.
Real Estate Executions and Sales – The Office handles the processing of paperwork related to the execution and sale of foreclosed real estate. The Sheriff’s Office solicitor conducts the Sheriff’s Sales every other month, and auctions off approximately 80 properties at each sale.
Precious Metal Licenses - The Sheriff’s Office receives and processes applications, and issues Licenses to Sell Precious Metals.
Firearms Licenses:
Licenses to Carry Firearms - Non-sworn Sheriff’s Office personnel are responsible for the processing and issuance of approximately 12,000 License to Carry Permits annually.
License to Sell Firearms - The Sheriff’s Office processes and issues License to Sell Firearms Permits. These licenses are issued by the Sheriff to Federally Licensed Firearm Dealers whose business is based within Lancaster County.
Inmate Transports:
Court – Each year, Deputies transport approximately 8,000 inmates to and from the Lancaster County Prison and the Lancaster County Courthouse for various court proceedings.
Intrastate Transports – Deputies transport approximately 600 prisoners within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania from county, state, and federal correctional facilities annually.
Interstate/Global Transports – Every year, Deputies transport approximately 100 inmates from county, state, and federal correctional facilities located outside the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania back to Lancaster County. In addition, non-sworn Sheriff’s Office staff are responsible for the coordination and extradition of fugitives from all over the United States and world.
Fugitive Apprehension/District Court Warrant Control:
Fugitive Apprehension – Deputies are responsible for the service of Lancaster County Domestic Relations, Probation/Parole Violation, Prothonotary, and Failure to Appear District Attorney Bench Warrants as well as state and federal warrants. Ten deputies are sworn in as Deputy US Marshals which provides them with the unique ability to cross jurisdictional boundaries to track down and apprehend fugitives. The Unit oversees approximately 4,000 Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas Bench Warrants.
Magisterial District Court Warrants – The Unit is responsible for the oversight and service of 65,000 traffic and non-traffic Magisterial District Court warrants. The Unit is responsible for the service of approximately 4,500 warrants per month, which includes 1,000 warrants served by PA State Constables, of which this unit has oversight.
Canine Unit:
There are two K-9’s assigned to this unit which are trained in explosive detection, patrol and human tracking. These services are primarily utilized by agencies within Lancaster County, but on occasion, the unit will travel outside of the County upon the request of another county, state, or federal agency.
Affiliations:
Deputies serve on the following task forces and teams: The Pennsylvania South Central Task Force, the United States Marshal’s Fugitive Task Force, Federal Bureau of Investigation Anti-Terrorism Task Force, and the Lancaster County Special Emergency Response Team (SERT).