CAMDEN, N.J. (KYW Newsradio) — Violent crime is spiking in large cities like Philadelphia and Baltimore. In Camden, however, the numbers haven't changed much year over year, and over the last decade, violent crime has been down.
Police said it's a combination of factors that are leading to more positive outcomes. New technology was on display as elected officials from New Jersey took a tour of Camden's police headquarters.
Inside their command center, staffers flipped through dozens of cameras to see what's happening live throughout the city. Audio sensors detect gunfire and officers are dispatched rapidly when something pops up. New Jersey Senate President Steve Sweeney was extremely impressed.
"The response time is spectacular," he raved. "One minute? Think about that. Think about wherever you live, a police officer getting there in one minute. The national average is about six minutes."
Related
The tour moved from the command center to a training room where officers watched body camera footage like professional athletes, dissecting every detail to find room for improvement. Congressman Donald Norcross looked on as a cop went through the tape of a man having a mental health episode and said the priority of the officer was clear.
"De-escalation," he noted. "How can we all come out of this the same way we went in, without someone being seriously hurt or injured? Those techniques were remarkable. A complete change of mindset. It's no longer a warrior. It's about that community working together."
"And the chief said it," added Sweeney. "It's not about rushing in. It's about stabilizing the circumstances, even if it takes all day."
Both said time is key, to show people you care. They acknowledged there's room for improvement, and said it's clear more money is needed for mental health services, to limit the number of times police are called to defuse those situations.