Resources » FAQs

Contact the police department and request to speak with an abandoned vehicle officer. The process will take about 1-2 weeks vehicle is removed from the property. If you need the vehicle removed in a shorter time frame you can have the vehicle towed by a private towing company in compliance with section 3353 ( c ) of the vehicle code.

If the vehicle is on or blocking any portion of the travel lane it may be towed. If the vehicle poses a hazard in any way it may be towed. If the vehicle remains along the roadside for longer than 48 hours it will be subject to the abandoned vehicle process which will result in towing.

Any persons involved in the accident, ie:  driver, passenger, pedestrian, bicyclist.  Owner of the vehicle, owners of damaged property, attorneys and/or insurance companies representing anyone involved in an accident may also obtain a copy of the accident report.

Go to Derry Township Police Department’s website and select ‘Obtain a Crash Report’ or click here Crash Reports.

You will need to complete and submit the Residential/Business Alarm Registration Form.  Go to Derry Township Police Department’s Home Page and click on Online Services and select Alarm Registration.

The Derry Township Police department does not have animal traps for loan. Residents can contact the Humane Society of the Harrisburg Area at (717) 564-3320 for an affordable rental of humane traps for strays.

From the Derry Township Ordinance 298 section 61-6 § 61-6. Animal noise disturbance. A. No domestic animal shall be allowed by its owner or its custodian to howl, bark, meow or make any other sound frequently or for a continued duration which creates a noise disturbance which deprives or causes unreasonable interference with the peace, quiet, rest or sleep of any person or persons not the owner or custodian of the animal causing the noise. B. Noise made by any domestic animal will be considered a public nuisance if the noise if continuous or incessant for a period of 15 minutes or such noise is intermittent for one hour or more; provided, that at the time the animal is making such noise no person is trespassing or threatening to trespass upon the private property in or upon which the animal is situated, nor is there any legitimate cause which justifiably provokes the animal. C. It shall be unlawful for any person to continue to own, harbor, possess or otherwise keep an offensively noisy domestic animal, which shall be defined as a domestic animal which has caused its owner or custodian to be cited and convicted of more than two violations of this § 61-6. Payment of fine and costs shall be deemed a conviction for purposes of this § 61-6.

Although there is no strict “leash” requirement the following Derry Township Ordinance and PA State Dog law apply. Derry Township Ord 298 61-3 and 61-4 61-3. Control of domestic animals required. All domestic animals shall be under the control of their owner or custodian at all times, by means of leash, harness, rope, tether, fence, cage, training or other means of restraint, so that the animal does not run at large, move at will, or is otherwise unconstrained from entering on property other than that of its owner or custodian without permission of the other property owner. 61-4. Domestic animals on public property. No domestic animal shall be allowed to enter onto public property either at its will or under the control of its owner or custodian when and/or where the public entity owning the property has prohibited domestic animals from being on the property by regulation or by posting notice on the property. Further, it shall be the responsibility of the owner or the custodian of any domestic animal to be aware of and obey posted regulations, requirements and/or conditions established for allowing domestic animals to be on any particular public property. 61-5. Removal of animal waste. The owner or custodian of any domestic animal shall remove immediately any feces or vomit deposited by his/her domestic animal on any public street or street right-of-way, including the sidewalk and any other part of the street right-of-way, such as the grass boulevard between the street and the private property line; on any public parkland or public use area; or on any property of which such person is not the owner or tenant. The feces or vomit deposited by a domestic animal on any property other than that of the owner or custodian of the domestic animal shall be collected by the owner or custodian in a sanitary fashion and returned to his/her property for sanitary disposal. PA State Dog Law 459-305 Confinement and housing of dogs not part of a kennel (a) Confinement and control. It shall be unlawful for the owner or keeper of any dog to fail to keep at all times such dog either: (1) confined within the premises of the owner; (2) firmly secured by means of a collar and chain or other devise so that it cannot stray beyond the premises on which it is secured; or, (3) under the reasonable control of some person, or when engaged in lawful hunting, exhibition or field training. (b) Housing. It shall be unlawful for the owner or keeper of a dog to house the dog for any period of time in a drum, barrel, refrigerator or freezer regardless of the material of which the drum, barrel, refrigerator or freezer is constructed.

Derry Township residents that have caught a dog on their property may contact the Derry Township Police Department at (717) 534-2202 to have the pet removed. Anyone that has found a stray dog within Derry Township may report with the dog to the Derry Township Police department for an animal voucher, so the dog can be surrendered to the Humane Society of Harrisburg.

Derry Township residents that have caught a cat on their property or know of stray or feral cats roaming in their area, may contact the Derry Township TNR Program at (717) 592-8087. This program is a volunteer full service program.

Township residents are reminded and encouraged to register their bicycles and pedalcycles with the Township as required by Ordinance. Registration not only helps to identify the owner of bikes when they are found, lost or stolen, but also assists emergency responders in identifying a bike owner following an accident or mishap. Bike registration forms and licenses are available at the Township Administration Building and the Recreation Center during business hours, or at the Derry Township Police Department 24-hours a day. The cost of the license is $1.00 per bike and the fee is used towards the maintenance of the Jonathan Eshenour Memorial Trail.

The Derry Township Police Department currently has two officers certified to install and inspect child safety seats. They are more than willing to assist residents of Derry Township however they are all assigned to the patrol section which requires them to work various shifts. You must call into the police department and request to make an appointment with a technician. Usually you will be required to leave a message and the most available technician will call you back to make the appointment.

Our crime reports are summarized and uploaded to the public access website crimereports.com.  You can access the services provided by this website at: www.crimereports.com Our UCR Part 1 and Part 2 crime statistics are reported to the Pennsylvania State Police and FBI as required and are available through the Pennsylvania Uniform Crime Reporting System http://ucr.psp.state.pa.us/UCR/ComMain.asp

Protection From Abuse orders (PFA’S) are civil orders granted by the courts.  You may seek assistance in obtaining a PFA order by contacting one of the following agencies: Dauphin County Victim/Witness Assistance Program (717) 780-7075 Harrisburg Y.W.C.A (717) 238-7273

Violations of Protection From Abuse orders should be reported through the communication center at 717-534-2202.  If you are facing imminent threat of personal injury as the result of a PFA violation you should immediately call 911.

Child custody orders are issues of the Civil courts.  The Police Department will not enforce such orders without a direct mandate from the Court or a child is in imminent danger.  You should report custody order violations to your attorney to seek relief from the Court.

The Derry Township Police Department advertises position vacancies through the following media outlets:

• Derry Township Police Department website – www.derrypd.com
• Derry Township Police Facebook page
• The Hummelstown Sun

It is recommended that you call ahead of time to ensure that the proper personnel are available for the processing. Bring with you a picture ID or other legal form of identification and any fingerprint cards or other documentation provided by your employer/ licensing board. You do not need to be a Derry Township resident for this service. Report to the Derry Township Police station between the hours of 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. for processing. There is a $10 fee for each fingerprint card. This fee can be paid with cash (exact amount) or check.

It is recommended that you call ahead of time to ensure that the proper personnel are available for the processing. Bring with you a picture ID or other legal form of identification and Fingerprint order issued from the Magisterial District Court. Report to the Derry Township Police station between the hours of 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. for processing.

The rules for Disability Parking Placards and Plates are dictated by The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.  You can find the appropriate information by visting the following link: PennDot – Persons With Disability Parking Placards The Derry Township Police Department will assist in dedicating a handicapped parking space in front of qualified persons residences.  Please contact the police department and request to speak with an officer of the Traffic Safety Section.

We do provide residential house checks for Derry Township residents who are away from home.  The security checks are contingent on call volume and manpower limitations.  We make no promises in regards to how often your home will be inspected although as a general practice our patrol officers attempt to inspect each home at least once every 24 hours. Please complete and submit a House Check Request Form 3 to 5 days before departure. House Check Request Form

The Federal Trade Commission estimates that over 10 million Americans have their identity stolen and fraudulently used each year.  If your identity has been compromised you should take these steps: 1. Immediately contact any business where an account has been opened and have it terminated.  Be sure to obtain any case reference numbers provided so that you can provide them to law enforcement investigators.  If your credit cards have been used to make unauthorized purchases you should contact the credit card companies and cancel the cards.  Contact the retail businesses where the purchases were made and initiate a fraud investigation with the security department.  Again, be sure to note any case reference numbers or the name of the person you spoke with. 2. Call each of the credit reporting bureaus and have a fraud alert placed on your account. Equifax  (800)525-6285    www.equifax.com Experian (888)397-3742    www.experian.com Transunion (800)680-7289  www.transunion.com 3.File a police report.  Contact the Derry Township Police Department at 717-534-2202. 4.Report the incident to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).  The FTC has been charged by the Federal Government to document and track cases of identity theft in America. FTC’s Identity Theft Website Download and review the FTC publication “Taking Charge-What to do if your identity is stolen”.

The Derry Township Police Department is committed to developing partnerships with local colleges and universities and provide students of the criminal justice system a rich educational experience. The Student Internship Program allows frontline exposure to the operational, administrative and support functions of a full service police department. Intern positions are limited and restricted to one position per semester – fall, spring, summer. Interested students may review the established applicant criteria listed below and complete the Student Intern Program application as per the provided instructions. The Chief of Police will review each submission and applicants will be notified of the selection outcome by mail. Intership applications deadlines are as follows: Spring Internships-October 1st Summer Internships-March 1st Fall Internships-June 1st We do not accept applications for “Externships”. Intern Criteria Internship Application

According to information provided by the PA State Police there are currently 17 Offenders who have made notification that they are living and/or working in the township. No one with the designation of a Predator has made notification that they are currently residing in the township.

You can check the following sites to locate offenders: http://www.pameganslaw.state.pa.us/ http://www.familywatchdog.us/

The Derry Township Police Department Criminal Investigations section monitors the current offenders by providing patrol officers the names, addresses and photographs for the offenders working and residing in the community. These records are maintained by the Criminal Investigations section for investigative purposes. The list of Offenders is updated through notices received by Megan’s Law Section of the PA State Police. The PA State Police is the State repository for the Megan’s Law Offenders. The Derry Twp. Police Department is an authorized address change location for the Megan’s Law Section of the PA State Police. Offenders changing address of residence or employment can complete that task at the Derry Township Police station via CPIN connection to the PA State Police.

Neighborhood Dispute Settlement is the only community based mediation center serving the people of Central Pennsylvania living in Dauphin and Cumberland Counties. Neighborhood Dispute Settlement provides training and education in conflict resolution and provides mediation services with little or no cost to the consumer. You can find additional information about NDS at the website www.disputesettlement.us

The Derry Township Police Department welcomes responsible citizen’s comments concerning the quality of service provided by the department and its employees to the community.  To file a complaint against an Officer, please call 717-534-2202 and ask to speak with a Sergeant.  To file a complaint against a Sergeant, please call 717-534-2202 and ask to speak with a Division Lieutenant.

Positive comments may be brought to the attention of any employee or directed to the Chief of Police, a Division Lieutenant, or a shift supervisor.  You may also send thank you notes to an Officer at 620 Clearwater Dr, Hershey, PA 17033.

Inquiries concerning policy, procedure, or tactics used by the department will be addressed by a shift supervisor.  Formal or informal complaints against the department or any employee will be reviewed by the Chief of Police and investigated through a regulated, impartial, and confidential internal investigation process, the outcome of which will be provided to the citizen in writing by the Chief of Police or his designee.

A Prescription Medication Collection Box is now located in the lobby of the Derry Township Police Department at 620 Clearwater Road. All citizens may come to drop off unwanted and unused medications. Acceptable items are prescription medications, vitamins, over the counter medications, prescription patches, prescription ointments, pet medications and sample medicines. Items that are prohibited are liquids, needles/syringes, thermometers, aerosols and inhalers.

The Derry Township Police Department does not permit citizens or non-public safety personnel to accompany officers in an observable capacity during the course of duty due to liability reasons. “Ride-Alongs” or single requests to observe the daily functions of departmental police personnel are relegated to other law enforcement personnel, civilian police department employees, media and only under the explicit authority of the Chief of Police.

The Department of Public works has an established policy that dictates snow removal from Township streets and roadways. You can obtain a copy of the Township’s Winter Maintenance Plan, including Snow Emergency Routes, at the following link: Derry Township Winter Maintenance Plan We encourage you to report roadway concerns of immediate danger such as areas of black ice.  You do not need to report unplowed roadways.

Every person desiring to engage in any transient retail business, soliciting or peddling in the Township of Derry shall first file an application with the Derry Township Police Department. Applications will be accepted Monday-Friday during normal business hours. Applicant must present Photo I.D. All soliciting permit application fees are $15.00, which must be submitted with application and are non-refundable. The license granted shall be valid for the month for which it has been approved. There will be no pro-ration for applications submitted for less than a full calendar month. It will take ten (10) business days to process. Click here to download an application. Click here to read the Derry Township Ordinance regarding transient retail businesses.

Please allow as much notice as possible to schedule a speaker for your event. Please be advised that while we attempt to honor any reasonable requests for speakers and demonstrations we are unable to honor some requests due to scheduling and manpower. Email your request to:  Sgt. Robert Demmel, Community Services Section at rfdemmel@derrytownship.org or call to speak with an officer to schedule your request at 717-534-2202.

Please allow as much notice as possible to schedule a tour of the police station. We attempt to honor any reasonable requests for tours from scout groups, school groups or other civic groups. If you are able to provide multiple dates or times for the request it is easier to accommodate. Email your request to: Sgt. Robert Demmel, Community Services Section at rfdemmel@derrytownship.org or call to speak with an officer to schedule your request at 717-534-2202.

The Derry Township Police Department does not accept payments for issued traffic and/or non-traffic citations.  All citations are issued through the following office: Magisterial District Judge 12-3-04 The Honorable Dominic Pelino 576 East Main St. Hummelstown PA, 17036 717-583-1912 You may make payments by credit card through the website http://ujsportal.pacourts.us

If you have been notified that you have a warrant for your arrest or believe you may have a warrant for your arrest call the police department at 717-534-2202.  If the warrant is for a summary violation, such as a traffic ticket, Disorderly Conduct, Public Drunkenness, etc. you can take care of the warrant in one of three ways: 1. You can come to the police department with the exact amount due in cash, check or money order.  Checks and money orders should be made payable to Magisterial District Judge 12-3-04 or MDJ 12-3-04.  The police department is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 2. You can go the Magistrates office at 576 E. Main St., Hummelstown, PA  17036.  This can only be done during regular business hours of Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. 3. If you have the ticket with the citation number and know the total amount due you can go to http://www.dauphintix.com and pay the ticket with a credit card. It should be noted that personal checks will not be accepted for payment of a warrant for a charge of bad checks. If the warrant is for misdemeanor or felony charges, when you call the police department arrangements can be made for you to come to the police department since you will need to see the Magisterial District Judge.