DelCampo named next Cherry Hill police chief

Cherry Hill Police Lt. Richard J. DelCampo will succeed Charlie Jones as chief, Mayor Bernie Platt announced Monday.

Jones, 56, is scheduled to retire Friday after five years leading the department.

DelCampo, a Cherry Hill native, joined the police in 1978 as a 20-year-old dispatcher with the hope of one day becoming a patrol officer.

"There weren't a lot of openings at the time," he said. "I would sit at the dispatcher's desk and think to myself, 'I have to get behind the wheel of a patrol car.' "

After 12 years of long nights taking phone calls about car thefts and bar fights, DelCampo enrolled at the police academy and became a patrol officer. He moved steadily up the ranks, from detective in the burglary unit to his last post, police watch commander overseeing the patrol division.

His promotion to chief comes at a time when the department's $23 million budget faces significant cuts.

With tax revenues sinking and a state aid reduction to the township, Platt said he would look to reduce spending in all departments, including police. The department employs 142 officers.

"We've had three rounds of layoffs, and we haven't laid off one police officer," he said. "It's my hope we won't have to this time, but if push come to shove, we will."

DelCampo said he was considering a change to the current shift schedule that would cut down on overtime.

In the busy suburb that is home to numerous shopping centers and office parks, traffic stops and shoplifting occupy most of the officers' time, DelCampo said.

Although he is back behind a desk - this time as a chief instead of a dispatcher - DelCampo said he planned to ride in a patrol car one night a week.

"I will, there's no doubt," he said. "One of my mentors did it every Friday night."

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