Camden County Police to absorb Woodlynne Police Department
WOODLYNNE, N.J. - A small police department in Camden County will officially disband after this month.
Camden County Officials announced on Thursday that the Woodlynne Police Department is disbanding due to a staffing crisis, among other issues, and the Camden County Police Department will start policing the municipality.
"There is simply not enough manpower to maintain a police department in this small community," says Louis Cappelli, Director of Camden Co. Board of Commissioners.
The Woodlynne Police Department oversees the 0.23 square mile borough and almost 3,000 residents. Commissioner Director Cappelli says next week the county will enter a short-term shared agreement for 30 to 60 days, and then the borough will enter into a contract with Camden County Police and the Woodlynne Police Department will ultimately disappear.
Officials say it comes after years of oversight by the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office. The department has also faced several lawsuits in recent years.
According to the borough’s Director of Public Safety, Edwin Ramos, Woodlynne currently has three full-time officers including himself, with one retiring, and one on family leave. Ramos is leaving on August 15th.
"The Prosecutor’s office asked me to come up with a game plan, I really sat there and looked at it, and there was no option, the option was to have the county help us," says Ramos.
Camden County Police say they are just beginning the process, but their findings on everything from training and officers’ safety, to evidence, have been concerning.
"I just want to send a clear message to the citizens of Woodlynne, the current situation is scary," says Chief Gabriel Rodriguez. "The entire system is broken, it’s like policing back in the seventies at this point. We’re just going to try to help elevate that and we will on day one."
Chief Rodriguez says they already supplement Woodlynne for calls, and it will not impact their services to Camden. They plan to supplement their patrols and hire new officers to bring their community policing to the borough. All three current Woodlynne officers have applied, according to officials.
Taxpayers’ contributions will eventually go towards the Camden County Police Department instead of Woodlynne. For that reason, some residents wished they were in the know before today.
"We’re paying the taxes, we’re paying the salaries, so I think we should’ve known," says Shirley Childs, a homeowner in Woodlynne for 30 years. "I do have great grandchildren in the school system, I live one block away, and you want to know that you’re protected."