The Freeholder Board recently commissioned 92 civilians police recruits into the Camden County College Police Academy.
These new officers signal the continued buildup of the county’s regional law enforcement organization formed to bolster public safety in Camden County.
These men and women will start the academy on July 22 and will hit the streets of Camden after six months of training.
Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli cited the new officers as critical to building the department.
Out of approximately 2,500 applicants, these 92 officers will be moving forward to start a rigorous training schedule at the Camden County College Police Academy. The officers will work for six months training and learning policing tactics and methods, and, after their graduation, will start two weeks of agency training and an eight-week field training program in the Metro Division within Camden City.
Once those requirements are met they will be assigned to the neighborhood they trained in to police the sidewalks and streets.
Upon deployment, they will continue to engross themselves into their new communities developing relationships and providing a guardian-like presence within their assigned section of the city.
Chief Scott Thomson explained that the many of the civilians being commissioned into the academy bring a wealth of knowledge and diverse backgrounds to the department.
Mayor Dana Redd complimented the community outreach being done by the Metro Division in pinpointed neighborhoods throughout the city, including the Parkside and Fairview sections of the city.
“Camden residents have spoken highly of the new Metro Division and how our law enforcement officials are making a difference in our neighborhoods,” Redd said. “With the addition of 92 new recruits, we look forward to strengthening and expanding the services to all neighborhoods throughout the city. It is a new day in Camden.”
Camden City Council President Frank Moran said the increasing numbers of officers are visible on the streets.
“When you drive around the city, it is clear to me that there are more officers on the streets working on behalf of our residents,” Moran explained.
