Camden, NJ- a follow up

~ Campbell's Field- ballpark in Camden, NJ- home of "Riversharks"

A few months ago, we posted photos of Camden, New Jersey, past vs present, to show how dramatically that city has deteriorated based on economic conditions which have have affected the city over decades but where the decline has been sped up during this 3+ year recession.

Click on headline to see original posting:  Photos: Camden- Then & Now

We also received some comments and notes, one in particular stating that there are beautiful parts to Camden and good people, etc..  not to judge the entire city harshly..

And I agree -- not 100% of Camden is drug and crime infested..

And I agree that many, many good, decent, quality people live there..

But it is also a reality that even more than Detroit, MI,  Camden has been affected by the current recession more dramatically than any other city in the US.

Here are some news stories from the past couple weeks, updating Camden's situation for those who may be interested--

Camden, NJ Rehires Some Laid-Off Cops And Firefighters  (CBS-Philly)  4/2/11  -- "Dozens of police and firefighters are back on the streets of Camden, NJ, two and a half months after they — and many more of their colleagues — were laid off.  But how long they’ll remain is an open question.  After being sworn in for the second time in their careers, 55 officers and 31 firefighters are now back in uniform. But funding for all but 15 of them runs out at the end of June."

Hundreds Laid Off In Camden County, NJ Government (CBS-Philly)  4/5/11 -- "Camden County had laid off about one-sixth of its workforce in the name of economy. Following the layoff of nearly 400 police officers and firefighters earlier this year by the City of Camden, 260 people in the Camden County government are now out of work, too, all but a few terminated in a move to save $12 million."

Camden, NJ May Force Late-Night Restaurants To Close Earlier  (CBS-Philly)  4/12/11 -- "The City of Camden is considering imposing a curfew on restaurants, especially take-outs, in an effort to cut down on late-night crime.  But some business owners are threatening legal action to block it"

New NJ law seeks to clean up drug-dealing spots (Asbury Park Press)  4/15/11 -- "Officials in drug-plagued Camden are hoping a new state law will help them clean up the places where drugs are sold... When police arrest someone on drug charges, they can also issue a notice barring them from loitering at the scene of the crime. If the suspect is caught hanging out within 500 feet of where he was arrested, he can be sent to county jail."

Camden NJ is not doing well-  it is not the fault of the vast majority of its populace.. They love their city and want it to prosper..

What makes Camden most important, isn't to target one specific city and "pick on it" for sensationalism like mainstream news does. Rather, to show what's coming for a lot of cities throughout the US as our economic situation gets worse, and more state and local municipalities run out of the tax revenue need to keep their towns and communities afloat.