Post by Prosay on Jan 17, 2018 12:37:22 GMT -5
Surprisingly, from the Wall Street Journal (well, maybe not..), they start this article off with a "Ra-Ra" for Camden, and how Leftist "feel-good" policies have worked against crime and homicides.
HOWEVER...not until the 13th paragraph does the truth come out:
wsj.com
Murder in Camden Falls to Lowest Level in 30 Years
Kate King
5-7 minutes
Jan. 17, 2018 7:00 a.m. ET
Killings in Camden, N.J., have fallen to the lowest level in more than three decades, sparking hope that change is finally on the horizon for a city long plagued by violent crime.
There were 23 murders in the city of 74,000 last year, down 66% from 2012, when 67 people were killed and elected officials moved to reorganize the city’s troubled police department. As a result, there are now more than 400 sworn police officers in Camden, a city spanning about nine square miles, with cops told to approach the job “as guardians and not warriors,” Police Chief J. Scott Thomson said.
“We’re changing the dynamics of neighborhoods, not by trying to arrest our way out of the problem but by trying to empower people in the city,” Mr. Thomson said. “We view our service weapon and our handcuffs as tools of last resort.”
Residents and social service providers credit the revamped police force, and its new emphasis on community policing, with helping lower crime in the city. But improvements in Camden’s schools and the economy have also helped make the city safer, local leaders said.
Once a thriving industrial city, Camden fell into economic decline when manufacturing jobs began disappearing in the 1960s. Race riots and worsening crime prompted many residents to leave the city the following decade.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who left office after two terms Tuesday, encouraged investment in Camden. His administration approved more than a billion dollars in tax incentives to lure companies to the city, and a major development project is now under construction on the city’s waterfront.
The approach appears to be paying dividends. In April, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said employment in Camden grew 3.7% over the previous year, tied for the highest percentage increase in the country. The Dallas area also saw 3.7% growth, followed by Philadelphia and the Seattle region at 3%.
Camden’s poverty rate, which topped 40% in 2015, fell to about 30% in 2016, according to the U.S. Census.
“The rebirth of Camden is happening—not with government giveaways or tanks in the street—but with a bipartisan spirit and a can-do attitude,” Mr. Christie said last week in his final state of the state address.
Tim Gallagher, a social worker who counsels teens with the local nonprofit Guadalupe Family Services, said improving economic and crime conditions are evident in his work. For instance, the agency decided to donate brand new bikes to 10 youth recently and he noted that such a gift wouldn’t have happened a few years ago because the bikes would have been “stolen the next day.”
Technology has also changed the drug market, with sales today more often arranged by phone or online instead of on the street corner, leading to fewer turf wars and drive-by shootings. (Translation: drug sales are alright in minority communities, as long as you do it via phone or on-line....!)
“Most of our kids are feeling a sense of safety that they haven’t felt in years,” said Mr. Gallagher, who also serves on the police department’s gang intervention task force. “Five years ago, it was a war zone.”
(13)Although improved, violent crime remains a problem in Camden. Its murder rate—23 homicides in a city with 74,000 residents—is higher than those of Chicago and Philadelphia.
Darnell Hardwick, president of the Camden County NAACP, pointed out that while homicides fell, nonfatal shootings increased slightly last year compared with 2016. “That’s telling me two things, primarily: they’re saving lives better and there were poor shooters,” Mr. Hardwick said.
Mr. Thomson, the police chief, agreed medical intervention has saved lives, particularly after the police department implemented a new “scoop and go” policy that instructs officers to load gunshot victims into their cars and speed to the hospital instead of waiting for ambulances. Officers made 31 such deliveries to the emergency room in 2017, according to department statistics.
But other factors are also at play, Mr. Thomson said. Some victims appeared to have been intentionally shot in the legs, indicating to police that in some cases shooters are trying to send a message rather than kill. An increased police presence on city streets and improved relationships with the community have allowed officers to better predict and prevent violent incidents.
Maria Haberfeld, a professor of police science at John Jay College of Criminal Justices, said it isn’t clear whether Camden’s recent success can be sustained. The police department has struggled with high turnover since the reorganization, forcing the department to spend $2 million on overtime last year. If the high staffing levels of boots on the ground can’t be maintained, crime may return, she said.
“Criminals don’t stop being involved in violent activities because there’s an increased police presence, they simply look for new markets and activities,” Ms. Haberfeld said.
Mr. Thomson said he agrees that there is more work to be done but said he is confident the city and police department are on the right track.
“I think it’s good to celebrate that less mothers are burying their sons,” he said. “But from a policing perspective, I’m far from satisfied.”
Write to Kate King at Kate.King@wsj.com
HOWEVER...not until the 13th paragraph does the truth come out:
wsj.com
Murder in Camden Falls to Lowest Level in 30 Years
Kate King
5-7 minutes
Jan. 17, 2018 7:00 a.m. ET
Killings in Camden, N.J., have fallen to the lowest level in more than three decades, sparking hope that change is finally on the horizon for a city long plagued by violent crime.
There were 23 murders in the city of 74,000 last year, down 66% from 2012, when 67 people were killed and elected officials moved to reorganize the city’s troubled police department. As a result, there are now more than 400 sworn police officers in Camden, a city spanning about nine square miles, with cops told to approach the job “as guardians and not warriors,” Police Chief J. Scott Thomson said.
“We’re changing the dynamics of neighborhoods, not by trying to arrest our way out of the problem but by trying to empower people in the city,” Mr. Thomson said. “We view our service weapon and our handcuffs as tools of last resort.”
Residents and social service providers credit the revamped police force, and its new emphasis on community policing, with helping lower crime in the city. But improvements in Camden’s schools and the economy have also helped make the city safer, local leaders said.
Once a thriving industrial city, Camden fell into economic decline when manufacturing jobs began disappearing in the 1960s. Race riots and worsening crime prompted many residents to leave the city the following decade.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who left office after two terms Tuesday, encouraged investment in Camden. His administration approved more than a billion dollars in tax incentives to lure companies to the city, and a major development project is now under construction on the city’s waterfront.
The approach appears to be paying dividends. In April, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said employment in Camden grew 3.7% over the previous year, tied for the highest percentage increase in the country. The Dallas area also saw 3.7% growth, followed by Philadelphia and the Seattle region at 3%.
Camden’s poverty rate, which topped 40% in 2015, fell to about 30% in 2016, according to the U.S. Census.
“The rebirth of Camden is happening—not with government giveaways or tanks in the street—but with a bipartisan spirit and a can-do attitude,” Mr. Christie said last week in his final state of the state address.
Tim Gallagher, a social worker who counsels teens with the local nonprofit Guadalupe Family Services, said improving economic and crime conditions are evident in his work. For instance, the agency decided to donate brand new bikes to 10 youth recently and he noted that such a gift wouldn’t have happened a few years ago because the bikes would have been “stolen the next day.”
Technology has also changed the drug market, with sales today more often arranged by phone or online instead of on the street corner, leading to fewer turf wars and drive-by shootings. (Translation: drug sales are alright in minority communities, as long as you do it via phone or on-line....!)
“Most of our kids are feeling a sense of safety that they haven’t felt in years,” said Mr. Gallagher, who also serves on the police department’s gang intervention task force. “Five years ago, it was a war zone.”
(13)Although improved, violent crime remains a problem in Camden. Its murder rate—23 homicides in a city with 74,000 residents—is higher than those of Chicago and Philadelphia.
Darnell Hardwick, president of the Camden County NAACP, pointed out that while homicides fell, nonfatal shootings increased slightly last year compared with 2016. “That’s telling me two things, primarily: they’re saving lives better and there were poor shooters,” Mr. Hardwick said.
Mr. Thomson, the police chief, agreed medical intervention has saved lives, particularly after the police department implemented a new “scoop and go” policy that instructs officers to load gunshot victims into their cars and speed to the hospital instead of waiting for ambulances. Officers made 31 such deliveries to the emergency room in 2017, according to department statistics.
But other factors are also at play, Mr. Thomson said. Some victims appeared to have been intentionally shot in the legs, indicating to police that in some cases shooters are trying to send a message rather than kill. An increased police presence on city streets and improved relationships with the community have allowed officers to better predict and prevent violent incidents.
Maria Haberfeld, a professor of police science at John Jay College of Criminal Justices, said it isn’t clear whether Camden’s recent success can be sustained. The police department has struggled with high turnover since the reorganization, forcing the department to spend $2 million on overtime last year. If the high staffing levels of boots on the ground can’t be maintained, crime may return, she said.
“Criminals don’t stop being involved in violent activities because there’s an increased police presence, they simply look for new markets and activities,” Ms. Haberfeld said.
Mr. Thomson said he agrees that there is more work to be done but said he is confident the city and police department are on the right track.
“I think it’s good to celebrate that less mothers are burying their sons,” he said. “But from a policing perspective, I’m far from satisfied.”
Write to Kate King at Kate.King@wsj.com
