OPINION

COMMENTARY: Touting police reform problematic

STEPHEN DANLEY

On July 16, Gov. Chris Christie stood in front of a small crowd in Camden to speak about police reform. He told them, “If we can make this work in Camden, we can make this work anywhere in America.”

President Barack Obama visited the city in May and said much the same thing. The line is meant to be inspirational, but as a Camden resident and local professor, it’s quickly become my least-favorite talking point about the city. Here’s why:

1. It oversimplifies police reform. Yes, crime is down from 2012 rates. But that year saw an artificial spike in crime numbers caused by state cuts to municipal budgets. (Note: At the time, Christie did not call a press conference in Camden to take credit for the increase in crime.) Murder rates are largely comparable to when the governor came into office.

And there are questions about how this new force operates.

The new police force uses the much-maligned broken windows theory; police use citations for not having bells on bicycles and other strategies to stop “suspicious” community members. Complaints of police using “excessive force” have increased.

The new force has high levels of turnover. And there has been a large drop in the percentage of minority officers. There’s a story to be told here, but it’s not of a fixed Camden.

2. It pathologizes Camden and ignores the role that the region plays in the city’s challenges. The statement “If we can make this work in Camden” is only meaningful if the city is an awful place. Yes, Camden’s a tough town, but its neighbors sure don’t make things easy.

Much of the region’s trash, drug trade, human waste, prisons, homeless and, yes, impoverished residents are sent to Camden. The city is a depository for difficult issues that suburban communities want to keep out of sight and out of mind.

Christie has compounded these problems, challenging the Mount Laurel Doctrine, a key protection against housing discrimination.

3. No one wants to join the county force. Neighboring Pennsauken recently rebuffed a county invitation. The rest of the region is sitting on its hands. Camden residents collected signatures for a referendum to keep their own city force, an effort that was squashed by a judge and is now in the New Jersey Supreme Court.

Claims that the reforms in Camden can work anywhere just don’t hold up to scrutiny. To be able to “work anywhere,” the reforms have to first be wanted somewhere.

Dr. Stephen Danley is an assistant professor of Public Policy at Rutgers University–Camden and a Camden resident. He authors the Local Knowledge Blog, which highlights Camden voices and Camden issues.