CNBNews

2016 Crime Rate Rise

The rise in violent Camden City was highlighted by a report issued by the State police. In it, they reported a 15.8% rise (compared to 2015) in crime overall, with an astonishing 42.5% rise in violent crime. A spokesman for the Camden County Police department pointed out that the sample size from which these figures were established was small, and that violent crime was also rising in the nation as a whole. However, they also promised to work ‘aggressively’ to reduce the troubling crime rate. Commentators blamed the rising statistics on a number of factors, including:

• Police staffing shortages. A high turnover rate saw Camden City Police working with far fewer sworn officers than it needs.
• A rise in prescription drug addiction, and a thriving black market dealing these pills. Addiction leads to crime, and a lack of rehabilitation options available to addicts within Camden does not help the situation.
• An influx of heroin and heroin dealers, attracted by the aforementioned prescription drug addiction. Addiction to opioid painkillers more or less guarantees a market for those dealing in heroin.
• Good weather - a lack of snow meant that crimes could flourish more easily during the winter months, thus bumping up the crime statistics.
• The time period it takes for justice to run its course - police spokespeople noted that many of the crimes including in the tally had in fact been committed some years ago, but it had taken until now to get charges pressed (and thus be logged as official statistics).

Are Things Changing?

Some of the above bullet points are troubling for residents of Camden County. The presence of heroin in Camden itself could potentially spell trouble for neighboring cities. Indeed, Gloucester City has suffered its fair share of heroin-related crime. However, others tell another story. Weather conditions and the context-free nature of statistics means that the picture may not be as bleak as the numbers make it seem. Some police members hotly debate the apparent ‘rise’ in violent crime, stating that statistics can be misleading, that their clear-up rate is higher than it has ever been, and that their experience tends towards a reduction rather than an increase in crime of all kinds. However, the police department has nonetheless taken the report on board, and made efforts to get more on top of Camden City’s crime rate than ever before. Camden City Police force has been troubled by staffing issues since major changes in 2012. This report appears to have led the force to review its staffing procedures, and the force has been making rigorous attempts to expand its workforce. Anti-drug activists have also been working prominently to make their feelings on the subject of drug dealers clear, and to help their victims. On some level, things seem to be working. Homicides in New Jersey overall have dropped 4% since the first quarter of 2016. However, Camden City is still faced with certain unique problems - including a profusion of illegal firearms, and a disturbing spread of drugs.

What About Gloucester City?

Should Gloucester City residents be worried about Camden’s problems? Camden City faces certain issues that we don’t, including a troubled police force, a lack of trust in that police force, and very powerful criminal elements. However, the spread of heroin this close to Gloucester could cause problems in the future. Our police department is said to be monitoring the situation in Camden closely, in the hopes of preventing any such disorder from spreading into Gloucester City.