Camden City Police Records
Camden police records are managed by several agencies in Camden County, New Jersey. The Camden County Police Department provides policing for the city of Camden. This is different from most New Jersey cities, which have their own municipal police force. Camden dissolved its city police department in 2013 and the county took over. Police records from Camden include incident reports, arrest logs, crash data, and investigation files. The city has a population of about 73,000 and sits on the Delaware River across from Philadelphia. Requests for police records go through the county police or the Camden County Prosecutor.
Camden County Police Department
The Camden County Police Department is the main law enforcement agency for the city of Camden. The department was created in 2013 when the city disbanded its municipal police force. The county department took over all patrol and investigation duties for the city.
This setup affects how you get police records. Records from before 2013 may be held by different offices than records from after that date. Current records are with the county police department. Older records from the former city police may be with the city or with county archives.
The Camden County Police website has information about the department. It includes contact details and news about recent activity in the city.
Visit the Camden County Police Department website for department news and contact information. You can find details about community programs, crime prevention, and how to reach the records unit.
To request records from the county police, you use the OPRA process. Fill out an OPRA form and send it to the records custodian for the Camden County Police Department. The custodian has seven business days to respond.
Camden Police Record Requests
The Open Public Records Act governs access to police records in Camden. OPRA applies to all government agencies in New Jersey. This includes the county police department that serves the city.
OPRA requests for Camden police records can go through the Camden County Prosecutor Office. The prosecutor office handles records through its Archives and Records Management division. The office is located at the Camden County Courthouse, 11th Floor, 520 Market Street, Camden, NJ 08102. The phone number is 856-225-2131.
You can also direct requests to the county police department. The custodian will process the form and provide records or explain why they cannot. If they deny your request, they must cite a legal reason.
Visit the Camden County Prosecutor website for contact information and office details.
If your request is denied, you can appeal to the Government Records Council at no cost. The GRC complaints page has the form and full instructions.
Note: Because Camden has a county police department rather than a city police force, the custodian for records may be at the county level rather than at city hall.
Camden Police Records and the GRC
Camden has been the subject of Government Records Council decisions that affect how police records are handled. These cases provide guidance for requesters and custodians.
In Melton v. City of Camden (GRC 2011-233), the GRC addressed whether arrest photographs are public under OPRA. The decision found that arrest photos are not public due to Executive Order 69. This order restricts access to booking photographs. The case is an important reference for anyone requesting mugshots or arrest images from Camden police.
This decision applies broadly across New Jersey. When you request arrest photos from any agency in the state, custodians may cite this case as the basis for denying access. The ruling is specific to photographs taken during the booking process.
You can search all GRC decisions on the GRC decision search page. Enter "Camden" to find cases involving the city or county agencies. The results include the full text of each decision.
Rutgers Police Camden Division
Rutgers University has a campus in Camden. The Rutgers Police Camden Division provides law enforcement for the campus area. This is a separate agency from the Camden County Police Department. The Rutgers police keep their own records.
Rutgers police retain original documents for incidents on or near the campus. If an event occurs in the campus area, the records may be held by Rutgers rather than the county police. You would need to request those records from the university.
The Rutgers police records office handles requests for campus incident reports and other documents.
Visit the Rutgers Police Camden records page for campus police record requests.
The Rutgers site explains how to request records from the Camden campus police. The process may differ from the county OPRA process because Rutgers is a state university with its own records policies.
Note: If you are not sure whether the county police or Rutgers police handled an incident, you may need to contact both agencies to find the right records.
Camden Crime Statistics
Crime data for Camden is published by the New Jersey State Police in the annual Uniform Crime Reports. Camden appears in the Camden County section. The reports cover all reported crimes in the city each year.
Camden has faced serious crime challenges. The city has had some of the highest crime rates in New Jersey. The creation of the county police department in 2013 was part of an effort to address public safety. Since then, the city has seen changes in crime patterns.
Part I crimes in Camden include murder, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, and motor vehicle theft. Part II crimes cover drug offenses, weapons charges, and other categories. The UCR data shows trends over time.
View the full reports on the state site.
Access Camden crime data on the NJ State Police UCR page.
The data helps track whether the county police model has affected crime rates in Camden. Researchers, journalists, and residents use these numbers to study the city over time.
How to Get Camden Police Reports
Getting police records from Camden requires knowing which agency to contact. The answer depends on when and where the incident occurred.
For incidents after 2013, contact the Camden County Police Department. They handle all patrol and investigation records for the city. Use the OPRA process to make your request. Send the form to the county police custodian.
For incidents before 2013, the records may be with the former city police department files. Contact the City of Camden clerk to ask where older records are held. Some may have been transferred to county archives.
For campus incidents, contact the Rutgers Police Camden Division. Their records are separate from the county police.
For court records, use the NJ Courts portal. This covers criminal and civil cases filed in Camden County Superior Court. You can search by name or docket number.
The GRC model request form works for any agency. Fill it out and send it to the right custodian. The form covers all the fields that agencies expect to see in an OPRA request.
The courts portal is useful when a Camden police case has moved to the court system. You can find case status, hearing dates, and docket details there.
Camden County Police Records
Camden is the county seat of Camden County. The county includes Cherry Hill, Gloucester Township, Voorhees, Pennsauken, and many other communities. For county-wide police records, prosecutor updates, and additional resources, visit the Camden County police records page.