The picture has made the rounds of social media: An officer of the new county-run police force in Camden, NJ, apparently asleep in his squad car, his head tilted back and his mouth open. “We are deeply concerned by what appears in that photograph,” Police Chief Scott Thomson told the Philadelphia Inquirer. “Our residents deserve the absolute best police services, and we continue to encourage anyone who sees something that appears inappropriate to immediately report it to us and we will investigate, as is the case here.”
An officer on the new force said the patrolman in the photo had just been transferred from the day shift to the night shift. That was his first day working 12 a.m. to 12 p.m.,” said the officer. “We all battle to stay up. The hours are brutal.” The county-run force replaced the nearly 184-year-old city department a little more than three months ago. The 278-member force is expected to grow to 400 by year’s end of the year. Officials touted successes during the force’s first 90 days, citing reductions in various categories of crime.