The document summarizes crime trends in Camden, New Jersey from 1989-2014. It shows that crime sharply decreased from 1995-2000 in line with national trends, but then increased in 2011 following budget cuts that reduced the number of police officers in Camden. Crime rates such as homicide, crime index, and violent crimes are shown to be higher in Camden than in New Jersey as a whole. The police department was disbanded and replaced in 2013, and crime rates have since decreased from their 2011 peaks but remain above 1995 levels.

1. Number of police officers per 1,000 people
in Camden, Trenton, and Newark from 1989-2012
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Trenton City
Newark City
Camden City
2011
1990 1995 2000 2005 2010
Camden City Crime Trends per 100,000 people
from 1989-2014
1990 1995 2000 2005 2010
0
3,000
6,000
9,000
12,000
15,000
18,000
Nonviolent Crime
Violent Crime
Crime Index
1995
2011
2014
KNOW YOUR CITY
Camden City Crime Trends from 1989 to 2014
Crime patterns in Camden reflect national trends as well as local events such as budget cuts
and police department restructuring.
When examining Camden crime
trends, it’s important to look at long-
term patterns, not just the last few
years, and to compare Camden data to
that of other similar geographic areas.
On an annual basis, the FBI Uniform
Crime Reports compile the crime index,
an aggregated statistic that provides a
standardized measure which allows us
to compare crime data year-to-year,
and across the United States. In line
with national trends (see Page 2),
Camden crime sharply decreased from
1995 until 2000. Nonviolent crime
decreased very gradually until 2011,
while violent crime increased slowly in
that span.
In 2011, budget cuts caused massive
layoffs in the Camden City Police
Department, and other cities in New
Jersey, including Newark and Trenton,
have done the same to combat declin-
ing state aid and tax revenue. From
2010 to 2011, the number of Camden
police officers fell from 366 to 265, and
the total number of all employees
dropped from 452 to 314. Also in 2011,
the crime index (+23.8%), violent
(+16.9%), and nonviolent crime
(+27.5%) increased – although it is
important to note that we can’t defini-
tively conclude that the layoffs caused
these results.
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The crime index can include murder, manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated
assault, burglary, larceny, and motor vehicle theft. Violent crime, a segment of
that measurement, involves the use of force while nonviolent crime does not.
Levels of police officers per 1,000 residents had been increasing steadily in
Camden, but then dropped sharply by 2011, a trend that was mirrored in Trenton
and Newark as well.
Data Source: New Jersey Uniform Crime
Reports 1989 - 2014
http://www.njsp.org/info/stats.html

2. Violent Crimes
1990 1995 2000 2005 2010
0
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
4,500 New Jersey
Trenton City
Newark City
Camden City
1995
2011
2014
Crime Index
0
3,000
6,000
9,000
12,000
15,000
18,000 New Jersey
Trenton City
Newark City
Camden City
2011
2014
1995
1990 1995 2000 2005 2010
Homicides
0
20
40
60
80
100 New Jersey
Trenton City
Newark City
Camden City
2011
2014
1995
1990 1995 2000 2005 2010
New Jersey
Trenton
Newark
Camden City
Homicides, Crime Index, and
Violent Crimes per 100,000 people
from 1989 - 2014
In 2013, the Camden City Police Depart-
ment was disbanded in favor of a new
Camden County Police Department, a
move which made national news, and was
met with both support and criticism.
From 2012-2014, the Camden crime
index, violent crime, nonviolent crime,
and homicide rates showed a decreasing
trend compared to the peak of 2011.
Compared to 2013, homicide (-42.1%),
crime index (-15.6%), and violent
(-20.5%)/nonviolent crime (-12.7%)
rates lowered in 2014, but we can’t say for
sure that this was a direct result of the
police restructuring.
Crime across the US has been on the
decline since the 1980s due to a host of
factors, and crime in New Jersey cities
have followed a similar pattern. Violent
crime has followed this trend, but homi-
cides, however, have either stayed flat over
the last 25 years, or slightly increased in
the case of Camden or Trenton.
Footnotes:
1.http://www.cna.org/sites/default/files/research/Crime
_Trends.pdf
2.http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/05/after_he
avy_police_layoffs_in.html
3. All data is adjusted for population in order to provide a
more consistent comparison across cities and time.
4.http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/29/nyregion/overr
un-by-crime-camden-trades-in-its-police-force.html?_r=1
For more information, visit: www.CamConnect.org
800 Cooper Street, 7th Fl., Camden NJ 08102 • (856) 365 - 9510 ext. 2027
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