Camden County, N.J., released consultant John Timoney’s plan for a county police force that is projected to have nearly 400 full-time officers patrolling the streets of Camden with an emphasis on community policing, reports the Philadelphia Inquirer. The 10-page proposal was described by Timoney, who formerly headed police departments in Philadelphia and Miami, as only a framework.
It doesn’t outline any cost savings – one of the county’s selling points early on for the regional force. Nor does the proposal include a timeline for phasing in the force. “This was really an architect’s design of what it would look like,” said Timoney, who was paid $15,000 for about 10 days of consulting work to develop the plan. The plan would dismantle the Camden Police Department to create the county force, though suburban towns have balked so far at joining it. Camden ultimately has to decide whether the plan, which was delivered to Gov. Chris Christie last week, would work. Cash-strapped Camden laid off more than 160 officers in January – nearly half its department. Since then, 74 of the laid-off officers have been rehired through federal and state grants.