Camden Officials To Release Details Of Plan For County-Wide Police Force

By David Madden

CAMDEN, NJ (CBS) - Camden Mayor Dana Redd has filed the formal paperwork to dissolve the city's police department and replace it with a force run by Camden County within a matter of months. Specifics of the plan will be laid out in a press conference Friday.

All 270 current members of the force will receive layoff notices just in time for the holidays, assuming the state Civil Service Commission approves the city's plan. They have 30 days to act.

Camden County Freeholder Lou Cappelli has spearheaded the plan to form a countywide police force.

"Now that the city officers have been given notice of the layoff plan, we expect that they will begin applying for the Camden County Metro Division."

The head of the city FOP vows to fight the layoff plan before the commission and in court. John Williamson also says there have been talks between the county and state FOP officials to reach an agreement that could increase the number of current officers that could legally be added to the planned 400 member department.