Camden Invincible- a city of promise on the rise
Camden Invincible- a city of promise on the rise
(Camden, NJ) – On Tuesday, Mayor Victor Carstarphen joined the Board of Commissioners the Camden County Police Department, and community stakeholders throughout the city to highlight the incredible progress and major accomplishments made in Camden over the last 12 years. In 2024, the city recorded its lowest number of homicides since 1985, just shy of 40 years ago. At that time, Ronald Reagan was the President of United States and Lionel Ritchie had the number one song in the nation with “Say You, Say Me.”
“Camden is witnessing generational change, and this tangible progress is taking place citywide,” said Camden Mayor Victor G. Carstarphen. “Thanks to the leadership of Chief Rodriguez, and the community policing efforts of the Camden County Police Department, the quality of life citywide continues to dramatically improve. Public safety is at the heart of the change and is the catalysts for Camden’s transformation. The gains made in public safety are the building blocks which support economic growth, educational outcomes, investments in infrastructure, and a sustained stable financial outlook just to name a few.”
Crime has been steadily falling in the city since May 1, 2013, when the Camden County Police Department was first formed, with the crime rate currently sitting at a 55–year low. According to the most recent Uniform Crime Report (UCR,) between January 2012 and November 2024 in Camden:
- Total violent crime is down by 50%.
- Homicide is down by 75%.
- Robbery down by 76%.
- Rape is down by 28%
- Non-violent crime down by 46%.
- Burglary is down by 72%.
- Arson is down by 61%.
- Larceny is down 48%.
Year over year data shows that in 2024, there were significant reductions in homicides (43%), violent crime (17%), and shootings (36%) throughout the city in 2024. This further underscores the progress the city has made since the first full year of operation under the Camden County Police Department in 2014.
“Each year, Camden is becoming a safer place to live, work and visit,” said Commissioner Director Louis Cappelli Jr. “The Camden County Police Department, with its focus on community policing, has transformed this city, and the progress we are seeing is better than we could have ever imagined when we first embarked on this venture 12 years ago. I am incredibly proud to see what we have been able to get done this past year and I am nothing but optimistic for the future.”
In addition to a falling crime rate, Camden has seen progress when it comes to education, economic development, infrastructure, housing and more.
“As someone who has born and bred in this city creating a safer community has always been my number one objective since I started working in law enforcement 23 years ago,” said Camden County Police Chief Gabriel Rodriguez. “Today, we were able to talk about the progress and improvements that have been made throughout Camden by the work of the men and women of this department in concert with our partners and the residents of the city. Together, as a group, we have been effective at making Camden a safer place, but we are by no means finished and still have many miles to go and promises to keep to our community. Today is a marker, but we will continue to work until every neighborhood is a stable place to live, work and raise a family.”
According to a recent report from the Progressive Policy Institute, Camden leads the nation in narrowing the achievement gap for students living in poverty. Additionally, new schools are being planned and built across the community with $615 million being invested to build new K-12 schools and rehabilitate existing ones. New “Renaissance Schools” have been built and the state has committed $100 million to construct a new Eastside High School. The city’s graduation rate has jumped from 49% to 70% over the last 12 years, the number of students taking the SATs doubled, and “college-ready” students leapt from three in 2012 to 400 from the 2024 graduating class.
“Camden is home to one of the most innovative school systems in the country,” said Giana Campbell, CEO of the Camden Education Fund. “We are proud to serve as an example of what an equitable school system looks like when we come together to ensure that we have the best educators, that all of our students feel supported, and that families have access to great public-school options. We know that our students are gifted, and our city is focused. By working together, we can ensure that Camden continues to rise.”
A major factor in bettering student outcomes in Camden has been the Hopeworks program, a time-tested career center that pays at risk students to attend, offers transportation to the workspace and works with young adults through other methods to stabilize them and find them gainful employment. Hopeworks has a long track record of success with a 93% retention rate for their 12-month program.
“Camden young adults are showing through this programming that they aren’t part of the problem, but part of the solution to make Camden a world class city,” Hopeworks CEO Dan Rhoton said.
The city’s workforce is growing, and economic development is plentiful with the job market growing by almost 30% since 2017 to almost 30,000 jobs in 2024. Approximately 1,000 Camden residents have been hired by companies such as Cooper University Health Care, Subaru, American Water, Camden Yards Steel, EMR, Resintech, Connor Strong & Buckelew, NFI, The Michaels Organization, Campbell’s Soup Company, the Philadelphia 76ers, L3, Holtec International, Contemporary Graphics, Rutgers University, and Rowan University since 2013. Additionally, more than $6 billion of capital investments has either already been made since 2012 or has been announced.
A program that has helped stimulate the local job market is Camden Works, an initiative launched in 2019 by Camden Community Partnership, the NJ NAACP, Latin American Economic Development Association, Center for Family Services, Volunteers of America Delaware Valley, the Camden County Workforce Development Board, and Hopeworks. The program is designed to support the hiring of Camden residents by local and regional employers by providing resources, case management, and wraparound services to encourage job placement and retention. When the program first launched, the goal was to support hiring 100 Camden residents per year and as the program enters its sixth year of operation, it has been able to hire or support the hiring of more than 1,000 Camden residents into various positions.
“Approximately 15 years ago, when I was serving in the State Senate, Camden City was reportedly the most dangerous city in North America, dropout rates were sky high, and the job rate was at an all-time low. Today, Camden City has fundamentally improved.” Congressman Donald Norcross said. “By focusing on my three priorities, jobs, education, and security, Camden City is rising. By welcoming new businesses to our city, investing $615 million into building new K-12 schools, and focusing on community policing, we’ve created a brighter future for Camden City families. I always say that the best social program is a good job, and the job market has grown by almost 30% since 2017, graduation rates have jumped from 49 to 70 percent over the last 12 years, and the crime rate currently sits at a 55–year low. These improvements are a testament to the work of the community, and every level of government to rebuild this remarkable city. There is still work to be done, but as Walt Whitman reminded us, Camden City is invincible.”
In October 2024, to further promote business growth in Camden, Mayor Carstarphen announced the launch of the Buy Camden 1st initiative. The two-pronged approach to Buy Camden 1st included building a searchable online business directory where key information on the city’s small businesses can be found and securing the support of Camden’s corporate sector and anchor institutions to use the directory for their purchases. The BuyCamden1st.com website provides information on resources and financing to help small businesses; and eventually will include information on procurement and purchasing opportunities by businesses in the city.
Private companies have invested $1.3 billion in capital to relocate and expand their facilities throughout the city. In addition to companies that have relocated to Camden, Cooper University Health Care has announced a $3 billion expansion of its main campus. This investment also comes with a groundbreaking job training and hiring partnership between Cooper and the building trades with more than 900 qualified city applicants being brought on to build the new campus expansion.
“The growth and change that this city has displayed over the last few years is nothing short of remarkable,” said Senator Nilsa Cruz–Perez. “This progress is the direct result of our investments on a local, county and statewide level. When we work together to nurture a community we know is capable of greatness, we can make what was once thought to be impossible, possible.”
A concerted effort to provide residents with the tools to live healthy and active lives has garnered incredibly positive results. In recent years, over $100 million in park projects have been completed or have broken ground to ensure residents have access to some of the best open spaces in the state. In 2022, the city opened a new crown jewel to its park system – the $45 million Cramer Hill Waterfront Park. In addition, the county, state and EPA turned a polluted abandoned parcel at the former Camden Labs site into a 10-acre field of dreams with an $8 million investment into the Whitman Park Athletic Complex. Camden County has also invested approximately $20 million into the city’s parks in the last five years. Specifically, the county committed investments into Whitman Park, Cornelius Martin Park, Dominic Andujar Park, 7th and Clinton Park, New Camden Park, Union Field Park, Robert B. Johnson Park and Von Neida Park. The county was also recently awarded a $4.5 million grant from the NJ Department of Community Affairs to fund even more improvements into city parks over the next year.
“Access and opportunity to quality public greenspaces throughout Camden County should be a basic amenity for every family and child in the county,” Commissioner Jeffrey Nash, liaison to the Parks Department said. “These investments have created vital and fruitful gathering spots in our community that has given the residents of the city some of the best parks in the state to enjoy.”
The Camden Health and Athletic Association (CHAA), a non-profit organization dedicated to expanding youth sports programs and health initiatives in the City of Camden, has also helped more than 1,000 Camden children take the field, the court, and even the golf course with greater access to team-based activities. Camden has also seen an increase in health among the population as local residents now have expanded access to healthcare due to the fervent effort by institutions such as Cooper University Health Care, Virtua Health System, CAMCare Health Corporation, and Camden Coalition for Health Care Providers. There has been a significant decline in rates of citizens without healthcare access from 21.7% in 2012 to 17.8% in 2024.
Housing has also improved in the city with over $366 million being invested to improve the housing stock in Camden. In 2024, over 1,000 market-rate and affordable homes were being built or rehabilitated across the city, and since 2013, 1,000 abandoned, unsafe, and blighted structures and homes in Camden have been demolished to stabilize neighborhoods and pave the way for the development and rebuilding of Camden’s housing value.
Neglected infrastructure in Camden is finally being addressed thanks to city, county, and state investments. Since Mayor Victor Carstarphen took office in 2021, more than 281 city streets have been reconstructed for an overall investment of about $23 million. More roads have been paved in this four-year period than at any other time since the 1970s. The work has used more than 12,000 tons of asphalt, installed over 4,300 feet of curb, and poured more than 8,000 square yards of concrete. Broken down by year, there were 82 roads repaved in 2021, 104 in 2022, 43 in 2023 and 52 in 2024. Even more roadwork has been accomplished if PSE&G and other state road restorations are factored in.
The Camden County Improvement Authority has also been making progress in terms of demolishing old buildings to make way for new housing units, businesses and green spaces. In the past five years, the CCIA has demolished: the Aletha R. Wright Administration Building on Market Street to create an open green space, an old dilapidated furniture store on Kaighn Avenue, a dilapidated warehouse on 22nd Street, the Dudley and Broadway schools, and structures at 1800 Davis Street and Ablett Village to make way for new housing communities by the Michaels Organization. In 2025, the CCIA is set to demolish two commercial buildings, two old schools and 25 residential units.
In 2021, Governor Phil Murphy announced a $250 million investment to rebuild the Walter Rand Transportation Center and turn it into a 21st-century hub for the city and the region. This new development will be built on a public-private partnership that will become a $1 billion investment into one of the busiest transportation centers in the state. The center will house a new tower making it one of the largest structures in South Jersey. The city will also become the center for the new Camden to Glassboro train line, a $1.8 billion investment in building new public transportation options and opportunities.
“The progress is undeniable, and Camden’s transformation is unparalleled,” said Camden City Council President Angel Fuentes. “You can see the extraordinary change taking place as we invest in every neighborhood. I commend the Camden County Police Department for their commitment to making our city safer and better than ever. The change in quality of life begins with public safety. The years of hard work are now paying dividends in so many ways.”
Also, for the first time since the 1970s, the city has a balanced budget that has been adopted on schedule pursuant to state statute. In 2021, S&P Global rated Camden’s outlook as “positive” based on careful fiscal management and stewardship undertaken by city elected officials, and Camden’s A- rating is the highest in over 50 years, coming from junk bond status just 10 years ago.
“Camden’s progress reflects the power of investing in people,” said Steven Mack, pastor at Little Rock Baptist Church. “Safer streets, thriving students, and revitalized spaces remind us that progress isn’t a destination—it’s a journey we achieve together.”
