Camden County Police fight hard to drop crime overall

CAMDEN, N.J. (WPVI) -- You could say that it's a new day in the City of Camden.

Action News went on a ride along with Camden County Police.

We were there as they spotted four men in a car and one of them allegedly threw a gun out the window.

Around the corner, undercover vice officers targeted Johns coming into town looking for sex.

"We've had guys from down the shore, Delaware, men from everywhere come here and attempt to buy sex," said Sgt. Vivian Coley.

On Wednesday, a driver in a tanker truck from Illinois was caught soliciting an undercover officer.

After trying unsuccessfully to lure her into the truck, he tried to flee but was later stopped in his truck down the road.

Admittedly these are small nuisance crimes compared to what the force has been going after since in came into existence in 2012.

However the philosophy here is now: small things if left unchecked can lead to bigger crimes.

Police here believe it's the fact that they're now going after every crime that has contributed to the significant reduction of crime overall in Camden.

Since the new Camden County Police force was formed, murder and manslaughter are down 49 percent.

Total violent crimes are also down 21 percent but that's only half the story.

"The number one problem we have in this city is poverty," said Louis Capelli Jr., Camden County Freeholder Director.

After decades of being mired with the highest poverty rates per capita in the country, there is now a sense of hope that Camden's economic picture can be turned around.

More than $300 million in tax credits have attracted the development of the Subaru corporate headquarters, a Holtec International management facility, a Lockheed Martin laboratory, and the new 76ers practice facility.

However unlike broke promises of the past, officials say these companies have vowed to create jobs for the people of Camden.

"And all of them so far have expressed an interest in hiring residents from the city. They are speaking to our county work training force to begin preparing residents of the city for employment," said Capelli.

Camden still has a long way to go but the city is making real progress and turning things around.