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Former Philadelphia Top Cop John Timoney Advising On Camden Police Force Conversion

CAMDEN, N.J. (CBS) - Former Philadelphia police commissioner John Timoney is lending his expertise in Camden County, NJ, as the county moves to create a regional police force.

Timoney says he'd not advising Camden County on whether to regionalize its police force but on how it should be done.

"Timoney was not brought in to union bust, to do away with stuff," he said today, referring to himself in the third person.  "The decisions have been made long before I got here."

And Timoney warns that his recommendations may not end up being cheaper for Camden than its own city-run police force.

But Camden County freeholder-director Lou Cappelli (below) says a countywide force with a metro division for Camden City would still put more cops on Camden streets.

"The goal always has been to make it sustainable," Cappelli told KYW Newsradio today.  "I can tell you this: the current collective bargaining contracts in Camden City are unsustainable."

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(Camden County freeholder-director Lou Cappelli. Credit: Mike DeNardo)

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Camden City has already signed off on an agreement to take part in the planning for a county police force (see related story).   The county freeholders vote Thursday night.

Reported by Mike DeNardo, KYW Newsradio 1060

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