Camco GOP Candidates Against Police Plan

Despite the plan earning the endorsement of Republican Party leader Gov. Chris Christie, GOP candidates have stepped out to oppose the move for a Camden County-run regional police force.

Late last week, no fewer than three separate GOP candidate groups expressed opposition to the regionalization idea, put forth by the all-Democrat freeholder board.

Those candidates are: Eugene Lawrence and Joshua Rocks, who are running for freeholder; Gloucester Township Council candidates Samuel Garro, Ted Liddell, Linda Musser and Erica Weissmann; and Cherry Hill mayoral candidate Stephen Buividas and Council candidates Maria Heckendorn, Deloris Kelly, and Ann Madden Tufano.

Lawrence and Rocks on Thursday distributed a letter to the editor calling the plan to dissolve Camden City's police department to make way for a county-run "metro division" force a "disastrous move that only leads to Camden City and Camden County being even less safe than they already are."

On Friday, the Gloucester Township and Cherry Hill GOP candidates issued a joint statement condemning the regionalization push and telling the county to keep its hands off their towns' police departments.

"It is not the responsibility (of) the two townships' taxpayers to provide funding, officers and equipment to bail out the communities who are unable to police themselves due to mismanagement of funds by their local politicians," the statement reads. "The times of mismanagement and misrepresenting the people have got to change. 

"The Cherry Hill and Gloucester Township Republican candidates are proud of their respective police forces and pledge to support local departments the way it is now, with local officers, local management and responsive departments."

Lawrence and Rocks are opposed in the freeholder race by incumbent Democrats Louis Cappelli Jr., who has been the board's frontman in promoting the regionalization plan, and Scot McCray.

County officials announced on Tuesday it had reached agreement with Camden to dissolve the city police force to make way for the first member of the Camden County "Metro Division."

Under the plan, Camden would layoff all of its police officers—only 49 percent of which could be rehired to the new county police agency.

Cappelli refuted plan opponents' contention that this plan will result in 36 other towns paying for Camden's police service.

"It is only Camden City that will be paying for its metro division force, just as any municipality would pay for its force within a county framework," the freeholder director said.

The county also announced last week that former Philadelphia Police commissioner John Timoney will serve as a consultant on the regionalization process.

In Gloucester Township, the GOP team of Garro, Liddell, Musser and Weissmann are opposed by incumbent Democrats Glen Bianchini and Orlando Mercado, as well as Democratic newcomer Tracey Trotto and former councilman Samuel Siler. Darren Gladden is seeking a Gloucester Township Council seat as an independent candidate.