New National Program Targets Crime Reduction in Camden

Camden has been selected as one of six cities nationwide to receive resources as part of a new national initiative to reduce violence in various communities.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and Assistant Attorney General Karol V. Mason for the Office of Justice Programs launched the Violence Reduction Network on Monday.

The goal is to provide local officials and law enforcement executives in each of the partner communities the support they need in the form of intensive training and cutting edge technical assistance to advance anti-violence strategies.

Paul J. Fishman, U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey, was invited to participate in the three-day discussion on crime reduction strategies.

Other federal, state, and local law enforcement officials working in Camden and around the country who have been invited to participate include, among others:

United States Marshal for the District of New Jersey Juan Mattos Jr.;

Special Agents in Charge George P. Belsky of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Field Division;

Carl J. Kotowski of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New Jersey Division; and

J. Scott Thomson, Chief of the Camden County Police Department.

Other cities announced for the partnership include Chicago, Illinois; Detroit, Michigan; Oakland/Richland, California; and Wilmington, Delaware.

“This new ‘all-hands’ approach to curbing endemic violence is founded on the recognition that our efforts are most effective when all criminal justice leaders stand united,” Holder said in a statement issued Monday night. “It’s predicated on the notion that – although violent crime is in some ways a fundamentally local problem – it is not one that any community can meet in isolation.”

“We have seen extraordinary things from what we call C-4, the unprecedented fusion center in Camden that brings together federal, state and local partners in a truly collaborative approach to fighting violent crime,” Fishman said. “It is gratifying that Camden has been selected as a partner in the VRN, so we will be able to build on what we’ve started and ensure federal resources are being used as effectively as possible to create safer communities. We have terrific local, county, state and federal partners who share our mission to make Camden the safe city its residents deserve.”

Like the other cities on the list, Camden is known nationally for its violence and its poverty.

In March of last year, NBC News reported on the crumbling infrastructure and rampant poverty in Camden, and the lasting impact the race riots of 1969 and 1971 had on the City. Brian Williams returned to Camden for a follow-up report this past weekend.

In 2012, a county police department replaced the city police force, and in earlier this month, National Public Radio (NPR) published a report on the county force’s efforts to help turn the city around.

The New Jersey State Police Uniform Crime Report shows reductions in violent crime, non-violent crime and the total crime index from 2013-2014, and the number of murders were down 33 percent through the end of July.

But there’s still work to be done.

Each member city will receive access to a broad spectrum of Justice Department resources. The federal government will be empowered to tackle the persistent challenges caused by violent crime.

The objective of the summit is to analyze the violence challenges each member city faces and discuss a variety of sources available to combat the problems.

After the summit, the department will work with police chiefs and city leaders, along with leading criminal justice researchers and practitioners, to develop effective approaches to reduce violence in each city.

“Through our partnerships with local leaders and practitioners and the wide range of resources we have available to address America’s public safety challenges, the Department of Justice is putting its full support behind violence reduction efforts in these five cities,” Mason said. “I am eager to begin working with each of the sites and to help define a way forward to safer, healthier communities.”

Representatives from VRN partner federal agencies include the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the United States Marshals Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Executive Office of the United States Attorneys, the Community Oriented Policing Services Office, the Office on Violence Against Women and the Office of Justice Programs.

For more VRN information visit www.bja.gov/Programs/VRN.html.

The attached image is a Patch file photo of Camden County Police Chief Scott Thomson at a press conference.