Lancaster PD

🚧🌹 JUNETEENTH FREEDOM FESTIVAL ROAD CLOSURES & PARKING INFORMATION 🌹🚧

As we prepare for an exciting Juneteenth Freedom Festival weekend in Downtown Lancaster, please be aware of the following road closures and parking changes.

⏰ A rolling road closure will begin around 3:30 PM on Friday, June 12.

The following streets will be affected:
🚧 W. Dunlap Street closes at 2:30 PM for Kid Zone setup.
🚚 E. Dunlap Street closes at 3:30 PM for food truck setup.
🚧 Main Street (Dunlap Street to Gay Street) closes 3:30 PM – 4:00 PM.
🚧 Main Street (Gay Street to Arch Street) closes 3:30 PM – 4:00 PM.
🚧 Gay Street and Arch Street will be closed to through traffic Friday afternoon.
🚧 Main Street (Arch Street to Chesterfield Avenue) and half of Williams Street close 3:30 PM – 4:00 PM.

🅿️ ADDITIONAL PARKING INFORMATION
🚗 Parking near the Main Stage will be blocked off beginning at 2:00 PM on Thursday, June 11 for event setup.
🚗 The Old Post Office parking lot will remain open on Friday, June 12.
🚗 On Saturday, June 13, the Old Post Office parking lot will be closed from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM for the Juneteenth Freedom Festival Car & Bike Show and is expected to reopen around 5:00 PM for public use.

We appreciate your patience and cooperation as we prepare for a fantastic weekend of music, food, family fun, and community celebration in Downtown Lancaster!

Tonight, at the Lancaster City Council meeting, Tyson Wright of Duke Energy presented the Lancaster Police Department with a $10,000 check through the 2026 Helping Emergency Response Organizations (H.E.R.O.) Grant Program. Chief Don Roper, Deputy Chief Steven Rice, and Erin Tindal accepted the check on behalf of the Lancaster Police Department.

The department will use the grant funds to purchase a utility trailer and barricades, making it easier to quickly set up traffic control and road closures during emergencies, severe weather events, and natural disasters. Our officers often have to use their patrol vehicles to block roads due to downed power lines and other hazards while waiting for utility crews to arrive. Having dedicated barricades readily available will improve safety, reduce the need to tie up patrol vehicles, and help keep officers available to respond to other calls and emergencies throughout the community.

Thank you to Duke Energy for your partnership and investment in the Lancaster Police Department and the Lancaster community!

Pictured: Tyson Wright, Erin Tindal, Chief Don Roper, and Deputy Chief Steven Rice.

Tyson Wright
Duke Energy

🤝 Serving Lancaster Together: Community Partnerships in Action 🤝

In mid-May, student-athletes from Ashland University came to Lancaster on a mission trip to Second Baptist Church – Calvary Campus. Throughout the week, these outstanding young men and women partnered with the Lancaster Police Department to serve senior citizens throughout our city.

From repairing steps and spreading pine straw to cleaning attics and tackling other small home projects, the athletes worked tirelessly to help some of the sweet seniors on our Senior Check-In List. It was a blessing to watch them serve others with such compassion, kindness, and enthusiasm.

The week concluded with a community Basketball Clinic on May 14 at the Gay Street Basketball Courts. Kids of all ages had the opportunity to learn basketball skills from the Ashland University student-athletes while building confidence, making new friends, and having fun on the court.

After the clinic, families enjoyed delicious free hot dogs from David's Dawgs and refreshing sno-balls from Pelican's SnoBalls.

We are grateful to Second Baptist Church, Calvary Campus, Ashland University Athletes, Pastor Argenis Taveras, Nutramax Laboratories, David Dawgs, and Pelican's SnoBalls for helping make the week such a success.

Most importantly, thank you to the Ashland University student-athletes for loving on our community and making a lasting impact on the lives of our seniors and children. We truly enjoyed having you in Lancaster and look forward to seeing you again!

Here are a few of our favorite photos from an unforgettable week of service and community partnership. ❤️🏀🔨

Gabriel is still missing as of this morning June 8, 2026. If you have seen him, please reach out to Lancaster Police Department immediately at 803-283-3313 or call 911.

Gabriel is still missing as of this morning June 8, 2026. If you have seen him, please reach out to Lancaster Police Department immediately at 803-283-3313 or call 911.

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𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐞 𝟒, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 - 𝟖:𝟎𝟎𝐚𝐦 - 𝐔𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞:
We are still looking for Gabriel Lucio at this time. We urge the public to come forward with any information that you may have about Gabriel Lucio and his whereabouts. Please share the post and be on the lookout for Gabriel while you are out today.

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🚨 MISSING JUVENILE 🚨

The Lancaster Police Department is asking for the public’s assistance in locating 16-year-old Gabriel Lucio. Gabriel was last seen at around 11:30 a.m. leaving Lancaster High School on foot. It is currently unknown whether he remains on foot or may be traveling in a vehicle.

At the time he was last seen, Gabriel was wearing a green T-shirt, khaki joggers, a black hat with a skull design, and gray and orange sneakers.

Anyone with information regarding Gabriel’s whereabouts is urged to contact the Lancaster Police Department at 803-283-3313. If you see Gabriel, please call 911 immediately.

Please share this post to help us locate Gabriel and bring him home safely.

🔒 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘 𝗚𝘂𝗻 𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗸𝘀 𝗔𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 🔒

The Lancaster Police Department is proud to offer FREE gun locks and firearm safety information through Project ChildSafe, a nationwide firearm safety education program.

Responsible gun ownership means safely securing your fi****ms to help prevent theft, accidents, and unauthorized access. By using a gun lock or secure storage, you can help keep your family and our community safe.

𝐆𝐮𝐧 𝐒𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬:
• Treat every firearm as if it is loaded.
• Keep fi****ms secured and out of the reach of children.
• Never point a firearm at anything you do not intend to shoot.
• Keep your finger off the trigger until ready to fire.
• Never rely solely on a firearm's safety mechanism.

Free gun locks are available Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Lancaster Police Department, 405 E. Arch Street.

Own it. Respect it. Secure it.

🚔 9 PM ROUTINE 🚔

A few simple steps each night can help protect your home, your vehicle, and your family.

Before you settle in for the evening, take a moment to complete your 9 PM Routine:

🔒 Lock all doors and windows
🚗 Lock your vehicle and remove valuables
💡 Turn on exterior lights
🎒 Secure valuables and keep them out of sight
📞 Report suspicious activity when you see it

Many property crimes are crimes of opportunity. Taking just a few minutes each night to secure your property can make a big difference.

Together, we can help keep Lancaster safe, one 9pm routine at a time.

🧡 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐆𝐮𝐧 𝐕𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐲 🧡

Today, the Lancaster Police Department joins communities across the nation in recognizing National Gun Violence Awareness Day and promoting responsible firearm ownership and safe storage practices. This day serves as an opportunity to honor the victims and survivors of gun violence while also raising awareness and reminding the citizens of Lancaster about the importance of responsible firearm ownership and gun safety.

One simple step can make a big difference: securely storing your fi****ms. Proper storage helps prevent accidents, thefts, and unauthorized access, especially by children.

As part of our commitment to community safety, the Lancaster Police Department is giving away FREE gun locks and educational gun safety materials through Project ChildSafe, a program of the National Shooting Sports Foundation.

𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒋𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝑪𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒅𝑺𝒂𝒇𝒆'𝒔 𝒎𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆:
Own it. Respect it. Secure it.

"Lancaster Police Department is grateful to be able to offer free gun locks to our community. Gun safety is a priority for us, and responsible gun ownership includes properly storing fi****ms to prevent misuse, theft, and accidents," said Chief Don Roper. "I truly want this gun safety initiative to make a positive impact on our community."

𝐆𝐮𝐧 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝟖:𝟎𝟎 𝐚.𝐦. 𝐭𝐨 𝟓:𝟎𝟎 𝐩.𝐦. 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐭 𝟒𝟎𝟓 𝐄. 𝐀𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐭, 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐒𝐂.

🔒 𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐦 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐢𝐩𝐬:
• Treat every firearm as if it is loaded.
• Never point a firearm at anything you do not intend to shoot.
• Store fi****ms securely in a safe or with a gun lock.
• Keep fi****ms out of the reach of children.
• Keep fi****ms in good working order.
• Never rely solely on a firearm's safety mechanism.
• Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot.

Together, we can help prevent accidents, reduce theft, and make our community safer for everyone.