CAMDEN — Union officials continued their pushback against the city’s plan to lay off the entire police department, in favor of establishing a countywide force, during a press conference Saturday, in which officers and their families argued the plan places their lives — and the lives of residents — in jeopardy.

Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 1 President John Williamson stated he and others are making the rounds and asking for residents to voice their support for the Camden police department during Tuesday’s city council meeting.

“This plan, this takeover, of the Camden Police Department is ill-conceived, baseless in fact, and has nothing to do with the safety of the people of Camden,” said Williamson, speaking at the union lodge’s headquarters before a crowd of supporters. “We intend to fight, and take our message to the community, until there is a legislative plan that properly addresses crime in this city.”

Mayor Dana Redd on Wednesday announced the city will lay off its police force in order to make way for a countywide department.

Camden’s 270 police officers could receive layoff notices by the end of the year. According to officials, the county police force would include a new Camden Metro Police Division, with 400 officers. Current plans would permit no more than half of the city’s 268 officers to be hired for the new division.

Camden County officials are expected to make an announcement regarding the hiring of countywide police officers later this week.

“The safety and well being of all the children and families of Camden is my top concern and priority,” said Redd in a statement. “Given the recent spike in homicides and an absentee rate of nearly 30 percent within the Camden Police Department, I recently announced that the city is aggressively moving towards joining the Camden Metro Division.

“As the plans are being finalized, we need to ensure that we have every uniformed police officer, including the union leadership, patrolling our neighborhoods and business corridors.”

However, union leaders have argued the plan will result in experienced Camden police officers being replaced with new recruits unfamiliar with the area. They have also characterized the prospective county police force as an unproven public safety “experiment.”

In addition, police family members have stated the announcement has taken its toll on the morale on the officers.

“It’s really put a strain on family life — we have a daughter that’s set to go to college who is now wondering if she shouldn’t go because of the financial burden,” said Diane Hoopes, whose husband has been a police officer in Camden for 17 years. She declined to give his name.

“What kind of morale are they supposed to have, having such an uncertain future?” she added. “We both grew up in this city, so we were very shocked and upset when we found out.”

Tiffany Johnson, a resident who has some family members who are Camden police officers, stated she attended the press conference to gain more information on the plan. A mother of six children between the ages of 19 and 4, she said she is naturally concerned for the future of law enforcement in her city.

“I’m a little worried, for me and my children,” said Johnson. “I don’t know too much about it, but I think it’s wrong. How can you cut out officers and then bring in outsiders?”
Camden County spokesman Dan Keashen stressed that is not the case, however, releasing a statement Saturday afternoon that read:

“We plan on offering every eligible officer from the current department the opportunity to apply for a position with the Metro Division. When we start hiring a metro department, we plan on having the current Camden Police Department officers making a significant impact by joining other highly qualified trained officers on the street and in the neighborhoods. In fact, we plan on providing new officers with 17 to 19 weeks of field training in Camden City before they hit the street.

“We plan on creating a safe environment in the city with about 60 officers walking the streets on a daily basis. Currently there are zero officers walking on foot patrol and about 30 percent of officers call out on a daily basis.

“The current department is operating at 1962 staffing levels and just last month there were a record number of homicides in the city, so I want to know why Mr. Williamson, who has not patrolled the streets of Camden in years, is against making the it safer.”