The Camden County Police Department - Why?

The Camden County Police Department
Why?

A Camden County Police Department will provide a highly professional police service with an
efficient management structure, economical and effective deployment of personnel, consistent
and efficient work rules, centralized special units, and streamlined administrative operations.
The ultimate goal of the Department is to substantially reduce the burden on taxpayers and
keep our streets and neighborhoods safe.

Like many of the shared services initiatives already in place or in the planning stages all over
Camden County, a countywide Police Department is a practical, effective response to the
diminishing resources and high costs of government. A regional approach to meeting our public
safety needs will give mayors and municipal governments a unique opportunity to reduce
property taxes, and it will improve police services in a present‐day environment in which crime
increasingly cuts across municipal jurisdictional lines.

As individual municipalities attempt to respond to the increases in the number and severity of
crimes, how and where they are committed, and the resources to address the situation, a
regional approach is imperative. Given the 2% cap, which will continue to restrict the future
growth of municipal budgets, this model will become an essential tool for municipalities
required to provide more services with fewer resources. In addition, the need for and logic of a
countywide police jurisdiction relates directly to the evolving and increasing trend of crime
cutting across municipal jurisdictional lines. Municipal borders are a product of history and
bear no connection with contemporary management or administration needs. While each
municipality is unique and special, relationships between law enforcement, the public and
municipal boundaries do not necessarily define the best or most efficient law enforcement
technique.

Camden County will facilitate and support the creation of the Camden County Police
Department (CCPD) with the purpose of reducing the overall cost of providing improved police

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protection to each member municipality, putting more officers on the streets and allocating
resources more efficiently. The cost savings will be reflected in lower property taxes for
residents in the participating municipalities. A governance structure will be created to provide
for substantial input from designated leaders representing the participating communities.
While the county strongly encourages all municipalities to join this regional police initiative, the
final decision on whether to do so will be made by each individual municipal governing body.

A county police department is a concept based on the important premise that a single police
department, divided into a number of coherent police districts, patrols, special operations and
investigative functions presents obvious financial benefits. It eliminates redundant layers of
administrative operations and bureaucracy. A more efficient management structure will mean
more economical and effective overall deployment of personnel; fewer chiefs, senior officers
and better use of civilian professionals; consistent and efficient work rules; centralized special
units, such as bomb squads, K‐9 units, and detective bureaus; and streamlined operations such
as payroll, information technology, human resources, finance, and purchasing and
procurement. Shared use of equipment, coordination of resources and elimination of
overlapping job responsibilities will result in more funds available to allocate officers to the
streets and use additional strategies (such as cameras) to provide quality and professional
police services for residents. The cost‐savings offered by this model will be demonstrated by a
detailed operational and financial assessment.

In summary, a county police department provides the opportunity to reduce the cost of police
services to taxpayers, putting more police officers on patrol, and streamlining police
services. To county residents, the local division of the County Police Department serving their
communities will look and operate much like their existing police department and offer the
same quality service. The difference is that the CCPD will be more effective and cost‐efficient.

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The Camden County Police Department
                                                                                                                                           Benefits

Benefits
           Mitigate police layoffs in communities throughout the County
           Coordinated deployment and administration of resources to reduce/eliminate
            redundant staffing and administration
                o Create consistent and realistic work rules, reduce related compensation and
                    support costs
           Increase patrol officers on the street by eliminating redundant layers of bureaucracy
            and sharing resources and services such as:
                o Countywide SWAT, Bomb Squad, K‐9 units & other operations
                o Countywide Detective Bureau (city and suburban bureaus)
                o Centralized administration (by zones/districts)
           Economies of scale and pooling of resources provide opportunities to use and share
            existing equipment, saving on capital costs for all participating municipalities, and gain
            cost savings through shared purchasing and procurement of supplies, equipment, etc.
           Reduce insurance costs and better leverage
           Eliminate individual municipal staffing costs; County Police Department staff will be
            County employees
           Address unsustainable increases in costs related to police compensation
           Consistent with existing countywide communications center operations
                o All police, fire and EMS communications moving to the 700 MHz standard
                o All police, fire and EMS already operate and support each other through mutual
                    aide pacts
           Countywide police forces are in existence elsewhere and are able to successfully
            maintain community programs throughout the Country.
           In addition to efficiencies and cost savings, an important goal also includes improved
            response times with a regionalized department. As evidenced in Gloucester County’s
            regional EMS program, the residents of towns who opted in received improved
            response times from the cooperative service in addition to cost savings to the towns.1

1
  GCEMS responded to 14,180 calls in 2009 with an average response time of 5 minutes and 50 seconds. In 2008 GCEMS responded to 11,382 calls with an average
response time of 5 minutes and 58 seconds. Source: http://www.co.gloucester.nj.us/Government/FreeholderPressRoom/pressdetail2.cfm?PressReleaseID=609

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The Plan
The Camden County Police Department
What is it?
The Camden County Police Department will be a police department available to any
municipality within Camden County.

   The Camden County Freeholders, in cooperation with the individual municipalities within
    the county will create the CCPD. The Police Department will be governed by and guided by
    the advice, consent and approval of the Freeholders, participating community leadership
    and professionals. There will be an appropriate governance approach that will provide for
    and require fair representation and decision making.

   The CCPD will be under the jurisdiction of the County. Substantial participation by
    participating community leaders is required.

   The County will be responsible for all hiring and staffing of the department with substantial
    participation and involvement by participants. The department will be supported by County
    Administration staff that will be available to assist with coordinating the transition of police
    services and facilitate to a Countywide Police Department. The structure of the department
    will include appropriate superior and supervisory officers necessary to perform the
    functions of the Police Department. There will be standards and rules developed and
    implemented regarding the provision and cost of the police services. Leaders from
    participating communities will have involvement in selecting superior officers to meet their
    local needs.

   The CCPD will be divided into a number of police districts. The districts will be organized to
    reflect commonality of interests: There will be a local identity to each district to ensure that
    there is familiar community identification (e.g.: The name of municipality District or Region
    of the CCPD). The districts can be aligned to reflect the zones used in the Public Safety
    dispatch, and districts added as necessary to cover all participating municipalities.

   The County will create the department and create appropriate work rules, compensation
    packages and benefits for the newly created police department staff. All new employees of
    the CCPD will come to the new force as Camden County employees under the proposed
    new rules of employment.

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   The County will utilize uniforms, equipment, vehicles, etc. of the             The Plan
    participating municipalities. CCPD officers will have their local
    identity, and will appear to the community as they do now – as
    local officers. Attire, equipment, vehicles, etc. will all have the municipal district/regional
    name to ensure the force continues to be locally identified (The name of municipality
    District or Region). The CCPD should ensure community familiarity, strong local identity and
    involvement by the designated leadership of the participating municipalities. As the CCPD
    evolves, there may be a desire to move to a ‘county uniform’ and create a new branding
    and solidarity among the newly formed department. Uniform weaponry should be
    incorporated in this model as well.

   Any Camden County Municipality may choose to participate in the county police
    department. In order to participate in the County’s Police Department, the municipality will
    dissolve its existing police department and agree to participate in the county’s police
    department through shared service agreements and/or MOUs. Each participating
    municipality will cede their equipment and assets to the county department under a lease
    agreement. This will provide for the necessary equipment for the department to operate
    efficiently and minimize capital costs. A process for this transition should be created to
    ensure commitment and support from the municipality, officials and the county.

   The direct cost of police services for each participating municipality will be passed on from
    the County to the municipality. The County Police Department will provide each
    municipality with an appropriate policing plan, minimum standards, staffing and associated
    costs. All costs will be borne by the municipality receiving the policing services. Specialized
    services can be provided by CCPD from a shared pool of services (e.g.: SWAT, Bomb Squad,
    K‐9 units) made available to participating municipalities. Proforma analysis of costs and
    services should be prepared for each municipality expressing interest in participating and
    the information should be presented to the representatives of the community.

   The indirect cost of police services (including but not limited to police administration,
    operations, capital expenses, insurance and legal costs) will be calculated and distributed to
    all of the municipalities participating in the CCPD. Appropriate methods of allocating these
    costs will be derived from the advice and recommendations of designated leaders from
    participating communities, the Camden County Freeholders and professionals.

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How might it Work?
                                                                                The Plan
   The Camden County Freeholders will create the Camden County                   The Plan
    Police Department.

   The CCPD will hire a new police force and staff including administrative leadership, superior
    officers, uniformed divisions and administrative staff. The County will use quality hiring
    standards and criteria to employ officers. Where appropriate and possible, civilian staff will
    be used for cost savings. Countywide analysis of what functions must be provided by
    uniform officers and what job responsibilities can be civilianized will be performed. Where
    possible, civilian personnel will perform appropriate duties with the opportunity for
    significant cost savings.

   Any municipality wishing to participate will dissolve its police department by
    Resolution/Ordinance. All municipal police staff will be laid off as part of the dissolution.
    The municipality must follow all Department of Labor notice, time‐lines and processes.
    There should be established a process for each municipality to enter the county’s
    department which might include a “Resolution of Interest” by the municipality which would
    begin the process of a policing plan, financial analysis and community process. This would
    provide the necessary commitment of both the municipality and county to participate in
    this process.

   The CCPD can and will hire former local police staff. Participating community leaders will
    actively take part in selecting superior and supervisory staff (district commanders) and
    police officers. Deference will be afforded local selections for such positions. Priority will
    be placed on employing professional and quality staff.

   Each police district will be assigned appropriate patrols, officers and administrative support
    and services. Municipalities will pay the direct cost of the service provided. Cost
    calculations will be based on direct and indirect costs, including salary, benefits, capital and
    overhead/operational costs.

   Staffing will be allocated based on best practices for each participating municipality, and
    with input from participating community leadership and professionals.

   A detailed transition plan will be developed by the CCPD and the municipality for each
    participating municipality.

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How and When Can It Be Implemented?
The CCPD Advisory committee is meeting bi‐weekly to address issues such as Governance of the
Police Department, Operations, Special Services, Criminal Justice Implications, Collective
Bargaining Agreements, Legal issues and Staffing.

As recommendations are forthcoming from the advisory committee they will be considered for
implementation. Costs will be derived from these subcommittee recommendations and
professional advice from the law enforcement community. Staffing and participation costs will
be made available to Mayors, to assist them in determining their cost of participating in the
CCPD and cost savings to be realized by dissolving their departments.

Transition plans, time‐lines and staffing plans must be detailed for participating municipalities
to ensure continuity of service and a seamless transition to the County Police Department.

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