By Brenda Flanagan
Correspondent
“I like to see this,” said Lameka Gideon. She greets police patrolling Camden streets with a sad smile. Sad, because her 19-year-old son, Jawan, died here — shot in the head three years ago — when violence stalked the city and Camden logged 50 murders.
“My son was murdered right there, on Sheridan,” she said. “And if it takes for them to be out here, doing what they’re doing, so I can get justice, I love it.”
Walk around and you see cops on the beat — part of a brand-new county police department — 411 officers brought in 16 months ago to replace the old guard. Mount Ephraim Avenue’s a rough neighborhood — Officer Chris Jeffries’ beat.
“Every day you’ll encounter someone who is extremely happy to see the police presence out there,” he said.
Cops in the field get intel from a high-tech surveillance system, and a very determined chief manages the whole operation. The result: a decrease in major crime rates so dramatic it surprises even the boss.
“This exceeded even my most optimistic expectations, but it’s something to be said for what can be done,” Camden Police Chief J. Scott Thomson said.
Since 2012, Camden’s murder rate plunged 50 percent: 22 so far this year — 35 last year — compared to 44 in 2012. Rape decreased 49 percent to 29, down from 57 in 2012. Robbery dropped 25 percent: 362 this year — 418 last — down from 481 in 2012.
Thomson assigns officers to neighborhoods, urges them to interact, get to know the kids, their parents — the residents they serve and protect.
“I tell them constantly I’m not measuring your success by the number of tickets you write or the arrests you make. When I drive through there I want to see people sitting on their front steps, children riding their bicycles, playing baseball in the street and I want you to take the time to go have a catch with them,” Thomson said.
He’s disturbed by images from Missouri where Ferguson police clashed violently with residents protesting.
“How do you monitor a peaceful protest through the lens of a sniper rifle?” he asked.
The outside world’s noticing — to Camden’s financial benefit.
“We have companies like Holtec and the Philadelphia 76ers and others coming, who feel the city’s safe enough to make a substantial investment,” Camden Board of Freeholders Director Louis Cappelli, Jr. said.
“We like to have a clean place, where people can come in and do business without being threatened,” said “Shoe” Kings owner Byron Gans.
Many local shop owners applaud the efforts, say they’d like to see even more cops. Of course, not everyone’s a fan, statistics notwithstanding.
“There’s a lot of harassment from the officers. Can’t even come out and smoke a cigarette while your sandwich is there,” said Camden resident Faheem Muhammad.
“There’s good cops out here, too — doing what they’re supposed to do,” Lameka Gideon said. “I love it, I just love it. And I’m just waiting for justice for my son.”
Perhaps the ghost of Jawan Gideon walks these mean streets, but now police are walking them too hoping to stem the violence and perhaps let the ghosts rest in peace.
Catch up on the entire “Crime In Our Cities” series