Hard times for police in Camden

I remember Camden.

I remember working at WCAM radio from 1959 to 1962 on the top floor of City Hall. I remember the short walk to the shops and the theaters. My favorite was the Stanley Theater at Broadway and Market Street. Back in 1926, when the movies were silent, it cost $1 million to build. It was a palace that featured both movies and stage shows. It was a time when a quarter would buy you singers, dancers and plate spinners, as well as a double feature straight from Hollywood.

Most of all, I remember a Camden that was vital and vibrant and full of life.

Unfortunately, those glory days didn't last. With the flight to suburbia, Camden, like many other urban areas, fell on hard times. Now, spirits are down, crime is up. Many - those who can't see beyond the numbers - are quick to blame the police. But Camden cops are part of a proud tradition in that city. They care about their work and they care about their town.

So what's the real culprit in Camden? Money. Money changes everything. Camden's police budgets have been slashed over the years. Why is that a problem? Consider some of the results.

Bare necessities, such as cars and radios, are in horrible, almost unusable shape. Of the 200 vehicles currently assigned to the force, half of them are more than eight years old. About 75, many still on patrol, are ready for the scrap heap. Camden Police Chief Ed Hargis says a mere 45 are considered "actual working patrol cars."

With such a small fleet, the cars that can run are at it 24/7. Not much time for maintenance or repair.

The more-than-400-member department's most basic necessities are in such disrepair that officials often scramble to equip officers.

When shifts overlap, there are as many as 85 officers on duty. And there aren't enough working cars to go around. As a temporary solution, the department has put some of its finest on bicycles - not exactly a method of hot pursuit.

That creates another problem. Between broken-down cars and cops on bikes, police officers are less visible and their response time has slowed drastically. That's a no-brainer. Fighting crime is all about visibility and response time.

It should come as no surprise that other resources are missing. The police radios being used were bought in 1994. We all know how much technology has changed in the last 14 years. Since parts are no longer made for the current radios, when they go bad, they go down.

This once proud department used to have the tools it needed. There was a time, not too many years ago, when Camden had a K-9 corps of 18 dogs. Well-trained dogs are tremendous crime fighters. From assisting officers on patrol to sniffing out drugs, they've proven themselves invaluable as integral members of effective police forces, including the one in Philadelphia.

About three months ago, the Camden department was down to no dogs. A grant managed to get them two trained dogs. Will there be more? Training costs thousands of dollars. There's nothing in the budget for that. But this is where private citizens come in.

The Philadelphia Police Department augments its budget with contributions from concerned citizens. Those contributions have paid for everything from police dogs to Highway Patrol motorcycles. I've been honored to be one of the contributors.

Now, because I have so many fond memories of Camden, I'd like to urge others in the private sector to join me in stepping forward to assist the Camden Police Department.

You can give a little or you can give a lot. Whatever you can give, you'll be helping bring a great old city back to respectability. And you'll be helping better the lives of Camden's finest, and its residents. That's the greatest gift.

How to Donate

Donations to the Camden Police Department may be sent to the department at 800 Federal St., Camden, N.J. 08103. Please indicate that the donation is for equipment and other purchases.