By: Follow South Jersey Staff
CAMDEN, NJ — The City of Camden ended 2025 with a 29% reduction in homicides including the city’s first homicide-free summer in 50 years, continuing a decline in homicides that has fallen 82% since 2012.
“When we started this journey almost 13 years ago it would have been hard for me to believe the amount of progress the men and women of this department have made. I was telling the Chief not long ago that a homicide-free summer would have been a pipe dream for us at the time,” Director of the Camden County Board of Commissioners, Louis Cappelli Jr. said in a press release from the county. “That said, we still have a ton of work to do, and we all know that one homicide is too many in the city. We still have promises to keep and miles to go, but 2025 was a good year for the city of Camden, and one that it hasn’t seen since 1984.”
The Camden County Police Department (CCPD) also saw a 6% decrease in violent crime compared to 2024, a 32% decline in sexual assaults, and a 12% drop in robberies. Total crimes fell another 2% in 2025.
Last year, the city logged 3,120 total crimes compared to 6,108 in 2012 which was the last year of operation of the previous police department, marking a 49% reduction in total crime and a 53% drop in violent crime.
According to the county, several initiatives have been beneficial for CCPD to create a safer city. The department established a social worker program that pairs trained and certified social service professionals with officers to help residents struggling with substance use, mental health disorders and homelessness navigate the appropriate support systems. Also, through participation in the Hopeworks truancy program, the department works to identify teens who have become disengaged from school, and connect them to a workforce development program that creates a pathway to full-time employment for several students and young adults. In addition, the department collaborates with the Camden County Restorative Justice Hub at the Wiggins Center to provide kids with guidance and structure, steering them away from violence.
In the press release, Chief Gabriel Rodriguez said that policing through prioritizing the community and residents is important.
“For all the work our officers have done over 2025, I want to thank them, I also want to thank our community and our partners for trusting us and working closely with us. We don’t take the bonds we have created for granted and we will continue to keep making deposits into our neighborhoods,” Rodriguez said. “2025 has a lot of bright spots, but this is no time to rest on our laurels, this needs to be a time where we double down on our commitments and continue to serve our community like never before.”
The CCPD has established long-term relationships with local partners including the Salvation Army, the Boys and Girls Club of Camden City, Rising Leaders, I Dare to Care, Guadalupe Family Services, the Cooper Foundation the Sixers Youth Foundation and Mighty Writers. These organizations work hand work with the CCPD in a variety of ways throughout the city, from fighting food insecurity to organizing diaper drives to help residents make ends meet.
This year, the agency continued its Village Initiative that focuses on providing support to Camden youth and senior citizens in the city. This program encompasses everything from senior bingo to the open gym program. The department also continued its participation in several popular initiatives, including Bookmates, dodgeball and flag football programs, and providing outreach support for senior citizens in need. From hosting neighborhood cleanups, lawn cutting, and community events, to assisting seniors in severe weather events, the Camden County Police Department provides assistance to the most vulnerable in the city.
Mayor Victor Carstarphen said that the department has made overall improvements to the city.
“Camden is a far safer city now than it’s been in decades thanks to the hard work of Chief Gabe Rodriguez and the Camden County Police Department,” Mayor Carstarphen said in the press release. “Public safety remains our top priority and it’s the foundation for Camden’s celebrated transformation. We are witnessing tangible progress in every neighborhood citywide. The consistent engagement with residents and community policing efforts have helped to build trust within our community. There is still plenty of work yet to be done, but through this collaborative effort we are building a safer and healthier Camden.”
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