Sept. 11, 2026
— Jeff Ward, Lehigh Valley News Briefs
The Bethlehem Police Department hasn’t raised fees for record requests since 2015, and Police Chief Michelle Kott is asking City Council to consider increases for next year.
The department receives many requests for records, taking up a lot of staff time, according to a memo from Kott to Council.
“I am proposing that we increase fingerprinting and criminal history background checks from $15 to $20,” the memo says.
She also asks Council to initiate a $125 fee for requests for audio and video, including records from police body cameras and video from inside police vehicles, and any other recordings made by the department.
The charge for an accident report would remain $15.
City Council will meet at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 15 in Town Hall.
Lehigh Valley News Briefs 