Officials in Camden County let data back up their claims that crime in the area is at the lowest its been in five decades.

“We had 17 documented murders in 2024. The last time we were that low was in 1985, 40 years ago,” Camden County Police Department Chief Gabriel Rodriguez said.

Back in 2012, the Camden City’s mayor agreed to reform the police department which led to the creation of the Camden County Police Department in 2013.

Since then, commissioners note that crime in all areas have steadily declined.

“We dissolved a failing police department. One that was not serving its community. And constructed and rose up a police department that is now second to none in this nation,” Camden County Commissioner Louis Cappelli explained.

According to the Uniform Crime Report between 2014 and 2024, violent crime is down 50% with homicides, robberies and burglaries down about 72%. Other crime rates, including rape and arson, have also dropped.

Officials say that in addition to restructuring the police department, state and local funding allocated to public safety and educational investments are what helped improve the quality of life in many areas hit by crime.

Some schools were renovated and others were rebuilt. Many of the area parks were beautified and gave the youth safe places to learn and play.

“Our students not only deserve a quality education, but also facilities that make them feel seen, and valued,” Giana Campbell, of the Camden Education Fund, said.

News outlets everywhere are catching up to a story we covered a year ago when it was signed into law by Gov. Murphy.

Teachers can now be certified without passing basic math, reading and writing skills tests. How outrageous is that? You know who pushed hard for it. Yep, the NJEA.

When they say jump, the Legislature and governors like Murphy ask, “How high?”

Does the all-powerful teacher’s union just want to make sure we have enough teachers in classrooms to teach our kids? Nope. It’s all about the numbers, baby.

SEE MORE: Hey, New Jersey: Please stop rushing to the stores before it snows

Keep the number of teachers at a high level and keep those union dues coming in. It’s never been about your kids’ education when it comes to that union. It’s about power. And the more members they have, and the more money they get in union dues, the more power they keep here in New Jersey.

A decade ago, you couldn’t find a highly coveted job as a teacher in this state. Now it seems like they’ll take anybody. I spoke to a grade school principal over the weekend, and she is woefully aware of the problem. I asked if it was the kids and she bluntly said, “It’s parents. The kids are great; their parents suck.”

Some would say the administration doesn’t have your back and always sides with the parents.

Another recently retired teacher I spoke to said this:

“Nobody wants the job because the pay sucks, the benefits were taken away and there’s no support anymore (teachers are always wrong)…Kids are sent to school with no discipline, don’t know how to act, and have no respect for the educational environment needed to have an orderly effective day. They (meaning elected officials) took a respected profession, that did provide somewhat of a decent living and turned it into a job nobody wants! Now they think they can fix it with lower standards. What a joke. Low standards attract low-quality people.”

Many people in New Jersey and across the country have abandoned public school and this new law and lowering standards won’t help. Those who can afford to send their kids to private or parochial schools will. And a rapidly growing trend is homeschooling. 

Many parents got a close-up look at what goes on in public and private education during the pandemic and that has led to a sharp increase in homeschooling nationwide.

Even in New Jersey, where we pay outrageous property taxes to fund public schools, people are choosing to keep their kids out of “that mess.”

There are many great teachers in this state, and nobody is more frustrated than them with this mess. Things need to change in a hurry if we are to salvage public education in this state.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Dennis Malloy only.

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