User:CherryBlossom918/sandbox

For two years, Camden had the lowest homicide rate since 2008. Camden also reorganized its police disbandment that same year. In 2011, Camden's budget was $167 million with $55 million was planned for the police. They were only able to collect $21 million in property taxes in hopes of the state aid to make up the difference though the state turned off the spigot. Camden was rated #5 nationwide with approximately 87 murders per 100,000 residents in 2012. Camden's murder rate is 6x more the national average across the Delaware River and Philly. Robberies, property crimes, nonfatal shooting incidents, violent crimes, and aggravated assaults have declined since 2012. In November of 2012, Camden began terminating 273 officers to later hire 400 new officers, out of the 2,000 applicants that have already submitted letters of interest to the county, to have a fresh start of a larger, non-unionized group to safeguard the nations poorest city. The city's officers rejected a contract proposal from the county that would have allowed approximately all 260 Camden county's police officers to Camden Police Metro Division, to only 49% of them to be eligible to be rehired once the 141-year old department becomes disbanded. Although the annual average of homicides in the city is 48 since 2008 with its prior department, in April 2013, the city had a record of 57 homicides in a population of 77,000 compared to 67 homicides in 2012. In mid-March of 2013, Camden residents would have noticed the first changes once the first group of officers became employed and were in an eight-week field of training on the Camden streets. On May 1, 2013, Camden County's Police Department was disbanded because of its union contract that made it financially impossible to keep officers on the street. While the existing county officers were still present, Camden County's Police Department brought in 25 new officers to train in neighborhoods in hopes they can regain the communities trust. The new police force had lower salaries along with fewer benefits that they had received from the city. Because of the reorganized force in 2013, the number of cops in the streets have increased and spread through out Camden. Camden's new police force began walking their beat in tandem, talking with residents, and driving patrol cars. Camden County Police Department hosted many Meet Your Officers events to further engage with residents that couldn't been done in the past with a limited force.

In 2018, the Camden County Police Department shows that violent crimes dropped 18% led by a 21% decline for aggravated assaults, nonviolent crimes fell by 12%, the number of arson fell by 29%, burglaries dropped 21%, nonfatal "shooting hit incidents" dropped 15%. So far, with only 22 homicides, 2018 had the lowest homicide rate in comparison to 2017' with 23 homicides.

The city has added other crime-fighting tactics like surveillance cameras, better lighting, and curfews for children. Although they added these tactics, the number of murders have risen again. As a last resort, the officers could only use handguns and handcuffs. Though the police officers are equipped with GPS tracking devices and body cameras, the idea of body cameras are debatable and unconvincing but it's enforced in hopes that officers do not use unnecessary force. With the police being disbanded and reorganized, many Camden residents are being pulled over for minor or issued tickets for minor violations, such as tinted windows and failing audible device on their bikes. Police say the city's most heinous offenders often times commit minor offenses, such as suspects of armed robbery often drive cars with tinted windows, and drug dealers deploy lookouts on bikes. J. Scott Thomson, Chief of Police, asserted "We are going to leverage every legal option that we have to deter their criminal activity."

Opinions

Police union has sued to stop police disbandment because of the risk to public safety on an "unproven idea".

John Williamson, the President of the Fraternal Order of Police, accused the city for creating the problems because of the shift of officers to an extra paying job as patrols.

Officials opinionated that adding officers won't make a difference because of the deep suspicion many residents harbored toward the police.

The Chief of Police, J. Scott Thomson, quoted " For us to make the neighborhood look and feel the way everyone wanted it to, it wasn't going to be achieved by having a helmet and shotgun at a corner."

J. Scott Thomson wanted his officers to identify more with being in the Peace Corps than being in the Special Forces. He stressed that public safety is about access to social services, economic rejuvenation, and good schools, not just cops: "Nothing stops a bullet like a job."

Police Officer, Tyrell Bagby, said "Now we're being taught not only should we make it home safely but so should the victim and the suspect."

New Jersey state police says "The improvement came as crime declined by even larger margins across the state."

Although the reorganized force isn't fully staffed, Louis Cappelli Jr., Camden County Freeholder Director, stated "we've started taking back sectors of the city on behalf of the residents. Children are playing in playgrounds and parks that haven't played in for years."

Department chair at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City, Maria Haberfeld, is concerned about the loss of institutional knowledge of the former officers who were laid off. Mariah Haberfeld contends ditching the old department and creating an entire new one won't solve Camden's problems. She stated " Creating a new department is a completely misguided approach to effective policing."

Head of the Camden County NAACP, Colandus "Kelly" Francis is concerned that the new police force is more suburban -- and much more white -- than the old police force. "Most of them never set foot in the city of Camden. They don't know who's who."

Pastor King wonders that the new the new majority-white police force must overcome perceptions of kids in the neighborhood who aren't familiar to seeing them. He claims "It's going to be very hard for them to step into a place like Camden. Maybe they'll grab it later on, but there's a whole method to dealing with folks here."

J. Scott Thomson believes that the key to bridging any divides between officers and city residents is increasing interaction. He states "When a cop works hand in glove with them to fix the problems that are keeping them from sleeping at night, they don't care what the color of the skin of that officer is, what accent is in his voice or where he grew up."

Jose Cordero, a consultant hired to assemble the force, mentioned, "There's a lot of work to be done and it's a very ambitious timeline... We realize the importance of getting this show on the road, getting people out on the streets...and more importantly sending a clear signal to the people of Camden that this change is coming and that this change is for the good of the city."

County officials announced that the waiver of certain steps in the hiring process, like the civil service exam, will allow hiring for the Camden Metro Division to be completed in a matter of months instead of six months to a year.

Louis Cappelli Jr., a Camden County Freeholder Director, affirms "This gives us the flexibility we need to hire the best officers available."