Living with violence, Camden, NJ

Beyond Belief · Jul 23, 2006

KEY POINTS
1. Despite a wave of recent shootings, the number of violent crimes in the city has decreased slightly. 2. Membership in the Bloods gang has nearly doubled in the past two years. 3. Police complain they are led by an interim executive, without a police chief to lead the department. 4. Rutgers professor Michael Lang says even though there are still shootings in the city, the city can still attract young people without families who are looking to fix up homes and live in an urban setting.
Sunday, July 23, 2006

Felder Washington would like his 3-year-old granddaughter, Vaniece, to grow up in a neighborhood that's free of gunfire.

But it may be a while.

"I think it's getting worse, the violence in the city," said Washington, 61, of the Parkside section. "It's depressing."

The city recently experienced what Camden police Capt. Joseph Richardson described as "an uptick" in violent crimes and shootings. Camden is in the fourth year of a state takeover of the city government. Four-billion dollar redevelopment plans have been entangled in court battles. Although the city has received $175 million in special state aid, the rebirth state officials predicted has been slow to materialize
http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060723/NEWS01/607230349

bykerladi · Jul 24, 2006

The only way Camden will get better is if they blow the whole city up and start over. Its not just the police force - its everyone, all the way up to the crooked mayor. New Jersey is corrupt, no doubt about that, but Camden is out in the open about how corrupt they are. New Jersey pours money into Camden like a huge slum pit. The people in that city have NO pride, they don't care about their family, their town, nothing.

Its hard to believe, but when my grandmother, now 79, was younger, she lived in Camden, and it was a hard working, lower middle class blue collar town, where people cared about their homes and their community. People used to scrub the sidewalks and help their neighbors. Now, 50 years later, people are raped in broad daylight on the streets. Children are being shot at and bullets are tearing through walls and killing people inside of their homes.

Beyond Belief · Jul 24, 2006

My mother age 85 grew up in South Camden. Infact my family was on S. 6th St for over a 100 yrs. I never got to see the neighborhood because it wasn't ever safe enough in my lifetime to go there to see.

Sniffy38 · Jul 24, 2006

bykerladi said:
The only way Camden will get better is if they blow the whole city up and start over. Its not just the police force - its everyone, all the way up to the crooked mayor. New Jersey is corrupt, no doubt about that, but Camden is out in the open about how corrupt they are. New Jersey pours money into Camden like a huge slum pit. The people in that city have NO pride, they don't care about their family, their town, nothing.

:clap: :clap: :clap:

I agree with you 100%, Bykerladi! I subscribe to The Courier Post, and every single day, you can expect details of all the shootings, stabbings, fires, etc. that occurred. More and more of our tax dollars keep getting pumped into making it a civilized place - and it AIN'T gonna happen! I get the feeling they are like the people from New Orleans. There is no pride or self-respect. What can you expect, with babies having babies? It's just a way to be supported your whole life.

Along the same lines, the City of Brotherly Love is no better. Just last week, the Mayor called in the state police and requested the National Guard to maintain order. It's like living in a war zone.

My MIL was raised in Camden and owned a lovely home there in the Fairview section. She says it was a wonderful neighborhood. Her 4 children were born there, including my husband. About 30 yrs. ago, they relocated to where we all presently live, wanting a better education for her children. It's a shame that those who came after her didn't have the same vision for their children. Now, they only aspire to be a Gangsta!

Living with violence, Camden, NJ

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