Camden County Police Chief's New Deal Includes $66,800 Raise

CAMDEN, N.J. (AP) — The head of the Camden County police department is getting a big raise.

County officials say Scott Thomson's annual salary will rise by $66,800 under a new contract that calls for him to stay on the job until at least 2019. The raise boosts his yearly salary to $230,000.

Thomson has led the county force since its creation in May 2013. Officials say his new salary is in line with pay for chiefs in other cities across New Jersey.

No county funds are used to operate the police department, which has about 400 officers. It's paid for by the city of Camden and the state.

Officials have credited the county department, which emphasizes a close relationship between police and the community, with a decline in violent crime in Camden.

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