Act 3 of 2008 is known as the Right-to-Know Law.  This law states that certain information can be made available for public review.  Specific investigative information and other information defined in section 708 “Exceptions for Public Records” can not be released by this agency.  The Criminal History Records Information Act also precludes the review/release of criminal investigative/criminal history information.

If you are requesting a police report or accident report, you may do so by filling out a Public Record Review/Duplication Request Form.  It should be noted that some requests may take up to five (5) days to complete.  The fees for requests are set by the Act and are listed below.  All requests should be directed to the Slate Belt Regional Police Department Open Records Officer (ORO) – Administrative Assistant Pat Stonaker.

If you have any questions regarding the Right-to-Know Law, please ask or you can check the information provided at http://www.openrecords.pa.org.

 

Fee List

Accident Report ……………….. $15.00

Incident Report ………………..  $ .25 per page

Photographs ……………………..  $25.00 per request

Copies of Photos ……………….  $1.00 per print

Documents on Disk ……………  TBD

Postage ……………………………..  Cost

Officer Appearance ……………  Cost

Certification of Record ………. $5.00

To download a copy of the Slate Belt Regional Police Department’s Public Record Review / Duplication Request Form, please click HERE

 Process to Request an Open Record

If you would like to make a request for a copy of an Open Record, complete the required Open Records Request Form.  Your request should then be emailed, faxed or sent to the Right-to-Know Officer:

Pat Stonaker – Administrative Assistant

Slate Belt Regional Police Department

6292 Sullivan Trail, Nazareth, PA  18064

Pstonaker@Slatebeltpd.com

Fax – 610.759.8523

Public records are open to inspection and for duplication during normal office hours, 8:00am to 4:00pm, Monday through Friday, except for holidays.

Upon receipt of a request, the Right-to-Know Officer will:

1. Note the date of receipt on the written receipt
2. Compute the day on which the five-day period will expire and make a notation of that date on the written request.
3. Maintain an electronic or paper copy of a written request until the request has been fulfilled. If the request is denied, the written request shall be maintained for 30 days or, if an appeal is filed, until a final determination is issued or the appeal is deemed denied.

Appeals

Appeals should be made to the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records within 15 business days of the mailing date of the Department’s denial of a record.  Appeals should be sent to:

Office of Open Records

Commonwealth Keystone Building

400 North St.,  4^th Floor

Harrisburg, PA  17120-0225

Appeals to requests for criminal police records should be made to:

Timothy P. Brennan – Assistant County Solicitor, Opens Records Officer Northampton County Courthouse
669 Washington Street, 3^rd Floor
Easton, PA 18042

Phone:  (610) 829-6350
Fax:  (610) 559-3001
Office Hours: 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Filing of Appeal

• Authorization – (1) If a written request for access to a record is denied or deemed denied, the requester may file an appeal with the Office Of Open Records or judicial, legislative or other appeals officer designated under section 503(d) within 15 business days of the mailing date of the agency’s response or within 15 business days of a deemed denial. The appeal shall state the grounds upon which the requester asserts that the record is a public record, legislative record or financial record and shall address any grounds stated by the agency for delaying or denying the request.  (2) Except as provided in section 503(d), in the case of an appeal of a decision by a Commonwealth agency or local agency, the Office of Open Records shall assign an appeals officer to review the denial.
• Determination – (1) Unless the requester agrees otherwise, the appeals officer shall make a final determination which shall be mailed to the requester and the agency within 30 days of receipt of the appeal filed under subsection (a). (2) If the appeals officer fails to issue a final determination within 30 days, the appeal is deemed denied.  (3) Prior to issuing a final determination, a hearing may be conducted.  The determination by the appeals officer shall be a final order.  The appeals officer shall provide a written explanation of the reason for the decision to the requester and the agency.
• Direct Interest – (1) A person other than the agency or requester with a direct interest in the record subject to an appeal under this section may, within 15 days following receipt of actual knowledge of the appeal but no later than the date the appeals officer issues an order, file a written request to provide information or to appear before the appeals officer of to file information in support of the requester’s or agency’s position? (2) The appeals officer may grant a request under paragraph (1) if: (i) no hearing has been held, (ii) the appeals officer has not yet issued its order; and (iii) the appeals officer believes the information will be probative.  (3) Copies of the written request shall be sent to the agency and the requester.