March 23, 2026
Thom Carroll/for PhillyVoice
The Camden County Police Department formed in 2013 after the city disbanded its previous force.
Camden just made it through the winter with no homicides, a benchmark the city has not hit since the 1970s.
The encouraging milestone is the latest in a larger downward trend in violent crime, Camden County officials said. The city also enjoyed a homicide-free summer in 2025 and recorded 12 homicides for the year — the lowest number since 1985, according to the Camden County Police Department. Violent crime typically increases during warmer months.
Statistics from the current year suggest the trend could continue. Police have recorded two shootings since Jan. 1, representing a 78% drop from the same time last year.
Law enforcement attributes these gains, in part, to better community engagement. For the past five years, the CCPD has hosted regular events like diaper drives, block parties and senior bingo games through its Village Initiative. It also said it's started a dodgeball and flag football program and partnered with nonprofits like the Boys and Girls Club of Camden and Mighty Writers to provide safe "third place" options where teens have "positive interactions" with police officers.
The CCPD also credited its drone program with increasing "situational awareness and strategic analysis for front line policing." Launched in 2025, the initiative has helped search for stolen vehicles, identify illegal dumping, track missing people and manage large events, among other tasks. There were seven drones and 10 pilots working in the city at the start of the year.
Camden was frequently dubbed the "murder capital" of New Jersey or even the country during the 1990s and 2000s. In an effort to stem the tide of homicides, the city disbanded its police department in 2013 and started the current CCPD. The new department says it has reduced violent crime by 82% since its first full year of operation in 2014.
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