Obama panel cites Camden in police reform report

CAMDEN, N.J. — A presidential task force, charged with finding better ways to police America's cities, on Monday released recommendations that will be familiar to Camden residents.

The 120-page report, unveiled hours before President Obama is to visit Camden, calls for an emphasis on community policing and outreach efforts to residents of high-crime communities.

It includes comments from Camden County Police Chief Scott Thomson, who has stressed that approach for officers patrolling the city's streets.

Thomson has said creation of the county police force in May 2013 allowed him to instill a culture of "service before self" among all officers. The county department replaced a more expensive city police force that had been hit hard by cost-cutting layoffs.

Advocates note the level of violent crime has dropped sharply under the new department. But turnover also has been high for the force, which stresses a cost-efficient approach.

Obama is to stop at the downtown police station and the Kroc Center in Cramer Hill during his visit Monday.

The president's Task Force on 21st Century Policing was formed in December in the face of rising tensions between residents and police in troubled communities across the nation.

The report was accompanied by a 50-page list of recommended changes.

Among its findings, the report says "law enforcement cannot build community trust if it is seen as an occupying force coming in from outside to impose control on the community."

In language regularly used by Thomson, the report says police "should embrace a guardian, rather than a warrior, mindset."

It noted Thomson, in testifying before the panel in February, said community policing "starts on the street, with respectful interaction between a police officer and a local resident, a discussion that need not be related to a criminal matter."

The report endorsed Thomson's view that "community policing cannot be a program, unit, strategy or tactic. It must be the core principle that lies at the foundation of a police department's culture.

"The only way to significantly reduce fear, crime and disorder, and then sustain these gains is to leverage the greatest force multiplier: the people of the community," Thomson testified.

The report also calls for police to promote public trust "by initiating positive non-enforcement activities" in high-crime communities. Camden County police have pursued such activities regularly, most recently by sending an ice cream truck across the city for Mother's Day treats.

The report also urges police departments across the nation to develop a diverse workforce, to promote transparency and accountability, and to implement "clear policies" on the use of force.

Its recommendations include training "on the importance of de-escalation of force" — a measure implemented recently by Thomson.

It also calls for "external and independent investigations and prosecutions of officer-involved shootings."

The report calls for creation of a National Crime and Justice Task Force "to examine all areas of criminal justice and propose reforms." It also said Obama should support programs "that take a comprehensive and inclusive look at community-based initiatives, addressing core issues such as poverty, education, and health and safety."