CAMDEN, N.J. (KYW Newsradio) — For the first time in about 50 years, there were no homicides in Camden during the summer months, officials said.
The homicide-free period — from the official start of summer on June 21 through the end of the season on Sept. 22 — is an “unprecedented high point” in the Camden County Police Department’s efforts to reduce crime, officials said in a news release on Tuesday.
“Growing up in this city and working as a police officer here, I don’t ever remember a time period where we went through the entire summer without a homicide,” Camden County Police Chief Gabriel Rodriguez said in a statement. “I believe this important marker speaks volumes to the work of the men and women in this department and their ongoing commitment to our community.”
Camden officials have been touting their focus on community policing and the difference it has made in reducing crime across the board. Over the summer, police were involved in a number of community events, including block parties, movie nights and neighborhood cleanups. Key partnerships with the Salvation Army, Boys and Girls Club, Cooper Foundation, and the Sixers Youth Foundation have paid off, too, officials said. They also touted a drone program and other tools that police have at their disposal.
There have been eight homicides in Camden in 2025 — a 43% decrease compared to the same time last year. There have been arrests in seven of those cases.
Camden had been considered one of the most dangerous cities in the country, but the script started to flip when the Camden Police Department was dissolved and the Camden County Police Department was formed in 2013.
“We knew if we deployed the right strategies by working hand in hand with our residents and neighbors, a day like this would come, but it wouldn’t be possible without the constant dedication of our officers,” Louis Cappelli Jr., Camden County commissioner director, said in a statement.
The city of Camden has experienced a 64% decrease in homicides since the Camden County Police Department’s first full year in 2014.