NJ Sending in More Troops to Battle Crime in Camden
Monday, December 12, 2011
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is ordering the deployment of additional state troopers in Camden to help fight rising crime as the city's shrunken police force struggles to keep a lid on violence.
The governor says the extra troopers will focus on crime hot spots.
For the past nine years the New Jersey State Police have kept a contingent of troopers in Camden. They already help investigate about 70 percent of the shootings in the city.
For strategic reasons, Christie won't say how many troopers will be added but says the increase will be noticeable.
Camden is a city of just under 80,000 and has had 16 homicides since Oct. 1. It laid off half the police force in January.
In September, Camden was one of the 12 New Jersey cities awarded COPS grant to help hire or rehire police laid off due to budgetary issues.
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