Booker Visits Camden County Police Department, Highlights Public Safety Progress and National Model for Innovation

CAMDEN, NJ - Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) visited the Camden County Police Department at a moment of historic progress for the city, which has seen one of the most significant reductions in violent crime in the nation. During his visit, Booker met with officers, detectives, and department leadership for a comprehensive tour and briefing on Camden's public safety strategy and the new initiatives underway to build on this progress.

"Camden's dramatic decline in violence shows what is possible when a city commits to a clear strategy, strong leadership, and police partnerships with the community," Booker said during his visit. "The progress here is not only improving lives in Camden-it offers a blueprint for cities nationwide working to reduce violence and build trust. What I saw today underscores the importance of federal partnerships to ensure departments have the resources, personnel, and technology needed to meet today's public safety challenges."

"It was an honor to have Senator Booker in Camden today to see the innovative technology and practices that have been implemented at the Camden County Police Department," said Commissioner Director Louis Cappelli Jr. "Camden has truly become a model for law enforcement agencies throughout the country, and it is my hope that through increased funding and support, more departments will be able to implement these practices which helped us decrease crime rates to levels not seen in over 50 years and significantly improve our case solve rates."

"We pride ourselves on being one of the most forward-thinking departments in the country, and the Senator's visit today reinforces that we are on the right track," said Chief Gabriel Rodriguez. "It is my hope that our practices, technology, and methods are replicated in departments throughout the country, and that they see the same progress in their communities that we have. Investment and funding at the federal level are critical to making this level of technology accessible to more agencies, and the VICTIM Act is pivotal in removing these financial barriers to departments whose budgets are already stretched thin."

Booker reviewed the department's evolving public safety strategy and discussed how federal support can help sustain and expand these gains. He observed several of the department's latest operational and technological advancements, including the Department's Real Time Crime Center and Drone Unit.

A central focus of the briefing was the Camden County Police Department's unity policing model built on the idea that the collective community-police, residents, businesses, schools, and government-work together as a unified force to prevent crime and promote public safety. This new policing model is rooted in principles of de-escalation, officer wellness, leadership development, transparency, and empathy. Unity policing evolved from community policing, building on the effort to transform policing culture toward one where public safety is a shared responsibility.

During the visit, Booker also highlighted two federal initiatives aimed at strengthening local public safety efforts. He discussed the VICTIM Act, which would provide resources to law enforcement agencies to help them improve clearance rates for homicides and firearm-related violent crime by hiring additional personnel to solve cases, upgrading forensic technologies, enhancing training for detectives, and enhancing support systems for victims of violent crime and their families. Booker underscored that effective public safety requires strong local leadership, community partnership, and sustained federal investment.

Camden's transformation demonstrates how sustained leadership, community partnership, and strategic investment can produce measurable improvements in public safety and offer a model for cities across the country.