Use of force. A 911 caller reported two people on bicycles trying to break into an abandoned house, and officers stopped a man and a woman in a nearby alley. Police said the man resisted handcuffing; an assisting Arnold officer used a Taser on him three times and a New Kensington officer struck him in the face several times, saying the man tried to bite him. The man was hospitalized with facial fractures and charged with aggravated assault, resisting arrest and loitering and prowling. The officer was placed on administrative leave while the DA reviewed the use of force, then resigned.
Crime in New Kensington, 2000–2024
FBI figures through 2024 · Updated Sept. 23, 2026
New Kensington Police Department · 301 11th St.
Call 724-339-7533Non-emergency, also 724-339-7534
911Emergency
Source: Westmoreland County, Valley News Dispatch (TribLive)
New Kensington police reported 54 violent crimes to the FBI in 2024, or 4.6 per 1,000 residents, up from 40 (3.4 per 1,000) in 2023. That is the city's highest rate since 2019 (5.3). Property crime rose to 24.0 per 1,000 from 21.2, still lower than any year from 2001 through 2019. Police cleared 32 of the 54 violent crimes.
Source: FBI UCR via Jacob Kaplan
Violent crime since 2000
New Kensington's highest rate in the record was 10.2 per 1,000 in 2001; its lowest full-year rate was 2.9 in 2020.
New Kensington
New Kensington sent no offense figures for 2000 and 2021. 2021 is missing for most Pennsylvania departments because the FBI switched to incident-based reporting that year. 2022 covers 10 months.
Source: FBI UCR via Jacob Kaplan · A hollow dot is a partial-year report
Property crime
Property crime rose to 24.0 per 1,000 from 21.2, still lower than any year from 2001 through 2019.
New Kensington
New Kensington's highest property crime rate in the record was 38.9 per 1,000 in 2017; its lowest full-year rate was 21.2 in 2023.
Source: FBI UCR via Jacob Kaplan · A hollow dot is a partial-year report
What was reported in 2024
Aggravated assaults were 42 of the 54 violent crimes. Larceny-thefts made up 220 of the 284 property crimes. The department reported one murder or manslaughter.
| Offense | 2024 |
|---|---|
| Murder & manslaughter | 1 |
| Rape | 3 |
| Robbery | 8 |
| Aggravated assault | 42 |
| Violent crimes, total | 54 |
| Burglary | 44 |
| Larceny-theft | 220 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 20 |
| Property crimes, total | 284 |
| Arson | 1 |
Source: FBI UCR via Jacob Kaplan
How many were solved
New Kensington police cleared 32 of the 54 violent crimes they reported in 2024 and 48 of the 284 property crimes. Over its last five reporting years (2019, 2020, 2022, 2023 and 2024), the department cleared 55% of the violent crimes it reported and 21% of property crimes.
“Cleared” means the FBI counts the case as closed, usually by an arrest.
Source: FBI UCR via Jacob Kaplan
Arrests
New Kensington's most recent arrest figures sent to the FBI are for 2024: 1,670 arrests, 174 of them for drugs and 94 for driving under the influence. That is 141.1 arrests per 1,000 residents. Arrests include people who don't live in the city.
New Kensington
Source: FBI UCR via Jacob Kaplan
Officers
The FBI's 2024 staffing file lists 24 sworn officers for the New Kensington Police Department. That is 2.0 officers per 1,000 residents. Other published counts put the department at 24 full-time officers in 2023, of 27 authorized. The two counts agree. Staffing and leadership changes reported in the news are listed under police shootings, lawsuits and policy changes below.
Source: FBI UCR via Jacob Kaplan, Valley News Dispatch (TribLive)
Police shootings, lawsuits and policy changes
Shootings, use of force, lawsuits, staffing, policy changes and programs reported in the news, newest first. Where the same event is also on the police blotter, it is shown once here with both sources.
Community program. New Kensington police introduced the newest member of the K-9 unit.
Staffing. Council unanimously hired three full-time officers from other local agencies, bringing the roster to 24 of an authorized 27. The chief said the department had been short-staffed, with 3 to 6 officers on patrol per shift.
Staffing. Two patrol officers resigned and a longtime detective sergeant retired, leaving New Kensington police short-staffed.
Police shooting. Officers from New Kensington, Arnold and Lower Burrell found a man in his 60s walking up Center Avenue with a shotgun. New Kensington police say an officer fired after he pointed the shotgun at them, and he died at the scene. The Westmoreland County Coroner and DA investigated.
Officer killed in the line of duty. A 25-year-old New Kensington officer, five months on the force, was shot and killed after an attempted traffic stop on Leishman Avenue when a passenger ran and fired at him during a foot chase. A suspect was arrested days later, and a Westmoreland County jury convicted him in 2019.
The Washington Post's database of fatal police shootings lists one in New Kensington from 2015 through 2024, on March 13, 2020. Source: Washington Post
Other published figures
| Measure | Year | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Authorized full-time officers | 2023 | 27 | Valley News Dispatch (TribLive) |
| Arrests for low-level, nonviolent offenses (2013–2023)Police Scorecard, 2013–2023 | – | 64% | Police Scorecard |
| People killed by police (2013–2023)Police Scorecard; matches the Washington Post database | – | 1 | Police Scorecard |
Incidents reported in the news
Incidents local news reported with a street location, newest first. They are a sample, not every police call.
New Kensington. Shooting. A man in his 30s was shot in the leg in the 1100 block of Fifth Avenue around 9:15 p.m. on a Tuesday and went to a hospital on his own, where he was in stable condition. The person who fired the shot fled.
New Kensington. Homicide. A man in his 40s was shot outside the New Kensington Elks Lodge on Third Avenue just before 3 a.m. following an argument inside, and he died at a hospital. Another man involved in the argument was charged with criminal homicide.
New Kensington. Shooting. A man was shot twice during an argument in the courtyard of the Valley Royal Court housing complex around 12:35 p.m. and was flown to a hospital. Police said the suspect barricaded himself in an apartment and surrendered to SWAT officers without police firing any shots, and the nearby Westmoreland County Community College campus, schools and City Hall were briefly locked down.
New Kensington. Police pursuit. A New Kensington officer spotted a reported stolen SUV on Tarentum Bridge Road in July 2025, and police said the driver fled at high speed to the Pittsburgh Mills mall with two passengers in the vehicle. A man was charged with kidnapping, unlawful restraint, receiving stolen property, reckless endangerment and fleeing police.
New Kensington. Drug case. Following an undercover drug investigation, police served a search warrant at a residence in the 1200 block of Woodmont Avenue in New Kensington in April 2025 and reported seizing 27 bricks of suspected heroin or fentanyl and more than $10,000 in cash. A man was charged with several drug offenses.
New Kensington. Drug case. Agents from the state Attorney General's Office, the Westmoreland County Drug Task Force and New Kensington police served a search warrant at a home on Leishman Avenue on Nov. 18, 2024, and reported seizing nearly 600 stamp bags of suspected fentanyl, several firearms and more than $8,600 in cash. Two people were charged with drug and weapons offenses.
New Kensington. Homicide. On July 5, 2024, a man in his 50s was found dead from stab wounds inside a home in the 600 block of Freeport Road, according to the Westmoreland County district attorney. A man was charged with criminal homicide, burglary and criminal trespass.
New Kensington. Shooting. Shortly after 7 p.m. on April 15, 2024, police said two people fired shots toward three people standing outside a building entrance at the Valley Royal Court apartment complex, near Fifth Avenue and Hileman Drive. A man was charged with three counts of attempted homicide.
New Kensington. Drug case. On Feb. 17, 2024, investigators arrested two men at a house in the 1800 block of Seventh Street and reported seizing about 22 pounds of cocaine, as part of a federal investigation into alleged cocaine trafficking. More people were later federally indicted in the case.
New Kensington. Burglary. Around 3:30 a.m. on Jan. 22, 2024, burglars drove a pickup truck stolen from another local business through the front door of a gun store on Freeport Street and took 24 firearms, according to authorities. Two men were arrested within two days and were later indicted by a federal grand jury.
Serious crashes in New Kensington
PennDOT recorded 70 crashes in New Kensington from 2005 through 2024 that killed or seriously injured someone. They killed 16 people and seriously injured 68.
Source: PennDOT crash data
Every year as a table
| Year | Months | Population | Violent | per 1,000 | Property | per 1,000 | Arrests | Officers | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 12 | 11,832 | 54 | 4.6 | 284 | 24.0 | 1,670 | 24 | FBI UCR via Jacob Kaplan |
| 2023 | 12 | 11,896 | 40 | 3.4 | 252 | 21.2 | 1,574 | 22 | FBI UCR via Jacob Kaplan |
| 2022 | 10 | 11,982 | 34 | 2.8 | 204 | 17.0 | – | 22 | FBI UCR via Jacob KaplanOnly 10 of 12 months reported to the FBI; counts are partial. |
| 2020 | 12 | 12,205 | 36 | 2.9 | 278 | 22.8 | – | 22 | FBI UCR via Jacob Kaplan |
| 2019 | 12 | 12,273 | 65 | 5.3 | 325 | 26.5 | 1,632 | 22 | FBI UCR via Jacob Kaplan |
| 2018 | 12 | 12,377 | 70 | 5.7 | 382 | 30.9 | 1,112 | 22 | FBI UCR via Jacob Kaplan |
| 2017 | 12 | 12,508 | 50 | 4.0 | 486 | 38.9 | 1,738 | 22 | FBI UCR via Jacob Kaplan |
| 2016 | 12 | 12,636 | 40 | 3.2 | 394 | 31.2 | – | 22 | FBI UCR via Jacob Kaplan |
| 2015 | 12 | 12,720 | 38 | 3.0 | 379 | 29.8 | 1,482 | 22 | FBI UCR via Jacob Kaplan |
| 2014 | 12 | 12,864 | 54 | 4.2 | 486 | 37.8 | 1,728 | 22 | FBI UCR via Jacob Kaplan |
| 2013 | 12 | 12,916 | 46 | 3.6 | 359 | 27.8 | 1,615 | 22 | FBI UCR via Jacob Kaplan |
| 2012 | 12 | 13,112 | 59 | 4.5 | 464 | 35.4 | 1,439 | 22 | FBI UCR via Jacob Kaplan |
| 2011 | 12 | 13,158 | 44 | 3.3 | 463 | 35.2 | 1,232 | 22 | FBI UCR via Jacob Kaplan |
| 2010 | 12 | 13,116 | 53 | 4.0 | 465 | 35.5 | 833 | 23 | FBI UCR via Jacob Kaplan |
| 2009 | 12 | 13,561 | 52 | 3.8 | 464 | 34.2 | 764 | 23 | FBI UCR via Jacob Kaplan |
| 2008 | 12 | 13,594 | 52 | 3.8 | 444 | 32.7 | 526 | 23 | FBI UCR via Jacob Kaplan |
| 2007 | 12 | 13,833 | 45 | 3.3 | 363 | 26.2 | 542 | 23 | FBI UCR via Jacob Kaplan |
| 2006 | 12 | 14,097 | 60 | 4.3 | 493 | 35.0 | 545 | 26 | FBI UCR via Jacob Kaplan |
| 2005 | 12 | 14,272 | 81 | 5.7 | 472 | 33.1 | 840 | 26 | FBI UCR via Jacob Kaplan |
| 2004 | 12 | 14,326 | 92 | 6.4 | 465 | 32.5 | 964 | 26 | FBI UCR via Jacob Kaplan |
| 2003 | 12 | 14,420 | 82 | 5.7 | 483 | 33.5 | 986 | 26 | FBI UCR via Jacob Kaplan |
| 2002 | 12 | 14,765 | 72 | 4.9 | 513 | 34.7 | 858 | 24 | FBI UCR via Jacob Kaplan |
| 2001 | 12 | 14,708 | 150 | 10.2 | 376 | 25.6 | 799 | 24 | FBI UCR via Jacob Kaplan |
| 2000 | 0 | 14,701 | – | – | – | – | – | 25 | FBI UCR via Jacob Kaplan |
Months is the number of months that year the department reported to the FBI. * Population carried over from the nearest year that reported one.
Police work, by the FBI's count
| Year | Arrests | Drug | DUI | Violent-crime arrests | Violent crimes cleared | Property crimes cleared | Officers assaulted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1,670 | 174 | 94 | 25 | 59% | 17% | – |
| 2023 | 1,574 | 164 | 72 | 17 | 68% | 25% | – |
| 2022† | – | – | – | – | 50% | 19% | – |
| 2020 | – | – | – | – | 53% | 18% | – |
| 2019 | 1,632 | 136 | 76 | 34 | 49% | 25% | 0 |
| 2018 | 1,112 | 80 | 44 | 24 | 40% | 15% | 0 |
| 2017 | 1,738 | 110 | 47 | 13 | 30% | 19% | 1 |
| 2016 | – | – | – | – | 50% | 18% | – |
| 2015 | 1,482 | 113 | 46 | 13 | 58% | 20% | 0 |
| 2014 | 1,728 | 143 | 34 | 12 | 35% | 17% | 0 |
| 2013 | 1,615 | 110 | 27 | 11 | 43% | 13% | 1 |
| 2012 | 1,439 | 58 | 31 | 13 | 53% | 13% | 0 |
| 2011 | 1,232 | 66 | 22 | 16 | 50% | 16% | 0 |
| 2010 | 833 | 42 | 12 | 19 | 28% | 19% | 0 |
| 2009 | 764 | 33 | 17 | 20 | 46% | 22% | 0 |
| 2008 | 526 | 41 | 9 | 10 | 63% | 16% | 0 |
| 2007 | 542 | 34 | 28 | 21 | 60% | 16% | 0 |
| 2006 | 545 | 51 | 16 | 19 | 33% | 13% | 1 |
| 2005 | 840 | 86 | 24 | 29 | 49% | 23% | 8 |
| 2004 | 964 | 118 | 16 | 47 | 55% | 22% | 9 |
| 2003 | 986 | 90 | 51 | 37 | 37% | 11% | 10 |
| 2002 | 858 | 65 | 35 | 26 | 58% | 20% | 7 |
| 2001 | 799 | 63 | 23 | 43 | 41% | 6% | 5 |
"Cleared" means the FBI counts the case as closed, usually by an arrest. Arrests include people who don't live in the city. A dash means the department didn't report that figure. † Partial year. * Zero clearances reported against 10 or more violent or 20 or more property crimes, which almost certainly means clearances weren't reported. Source: FBI UCR via Jacob Kaplan
How these numbers are made
Crime counts come from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program: the offenses each city's police department reported to the FBI, year by year, as compiled per department by Jacob Kaplan. The FBI identifies the departments by these codes: New Kensington PA06510, Arnold PA06514 and Lower Burrell PA06506.
Violent crime is murder and manslaughter, rape, robbery and aggravated assault. Property crime is burglary, larceny-theft and motor vehicle theft. Arson is listed on its own.
Rates are per 1,000 residents, using the population the FBI published for that department and year. Small towns swing from year to year; a few incidents can move a rate a lot.
Gaps: New Kensington: no offense counts for 2000, 2021; Arnold: no offense counts for 2003, 2019, 2021, 2023; Lower Burrell: no offense counts for 2021. 2021 is missing for most Pennsylvania agencies because of the FBI's switch to incident-based reporting (NIBRS).
Partial years. In some years a department reported fewer than 12 months. Those years are marked † and drawn as hollow dots, and comparisons with them use monthly averages rather than totals.
Cleared means the FBI counts the case as closed, usually by an arrest. Arrests include people who don't live in the city.
Mapped incidents are ones local news reported with a street location, checked against the original report. They are a sample, not a complete record. Locations are rounded to the hundred-block (21), an intersection (6) or a named place (2); 14 are placed on the street only and marked approximate.
Left out on purpose: names of suspects, victims and line officers (public officials such as chiefs and mayors may be named); exact house numbers; anything identifying a juvenile. Individual sexual-offense incidents are never mapped or listed; the FBI totals include them. An arrest or charge is not a conviction. The linked source articles are the original news reports and may name people; this site does not.
Policing notes: Agencies, staffing and interactions come from news reports and department pages; the two fatal police shootings are from the Washington Post's database (2015–2024). Items that could not be verified were removed.
Sources: FBI UCR via Jacob Kaplan, CBS News Pittsburgh, WPXI, Valley News Dispatch (TribLive), police1.com, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, CrimeWatch, TribLive community news, Washington Post, PennDOT crash data.