Marking first two years of Camden County Police

Camden leaders on Friday marked the two years since the Camden County Police Department took over law enforcement in the city, touting signs of progress but acknowledging the city's ongoing struggle with crime and poverty.

Standing before a new playground in North Camden's Pyne Poynt Park, where children from a nearby school played, Police Chief Scott Thomson said the force had made headway in tamping down crime by working with schools and members of the community, and reinstating foot patrols in neighborhoods.

But, Thomson said, "we are still very far from where we want to be."

Camden's violent-crime rate was the highest among New Jersey cities last year, though the numbers are sharply down since 2013 and 2012, the year massive layoffs in the former Camden Police Department were accompanied by an unprecedented crime spike. The county force, which patrols only Camden, was formed by county and city leaders who disbanded the Camden department after that year.

There were 33 homicides in Camden in 2014, the same number as in 2009 but down 50 percent from the city's all-time high of 67 in 2012. So far this year there have been eight homicides, down from 16 at this time last year. Police said Friday that total violent crime is down 18 percent over this time last year.

On Friday, Mayor Dana L. Redd said public safety improvements have allowed for "unprecedented investment" in the city. In the last year, several large companies have announced they are moving to Camden with help from multimillion-dollar tax incentives from the state.