Prevent your car from being broken into. Thefts from cars are most often crimes of opportunity in which a thief sees an easy target. Reduce the chances that a criminal will want to break into your vehicle by taking some common sense steps.
- At home, park your car in a garage if you have one or in the driveway rather than on the street.
- Use theft deterrent systems such as car alarms, wheel lock devices, kill switches, etc.
- Always park in well lit areas.
- In parking lots, park in high traffic areas rather than distant corners of the lot.
- Remove all loose items of value such as cell phones, laptops or tablets, jewelry, etc. from view inside the car and lock them in the trunk.
- Contact police if you see someone acting suspiciously in a parking area.
With temperatures warming, potholes are becoming a major issue for drivers in our area. Potholes can damage your car and cause accidents when drivers don’t see them or when they swerve to avoid potholes.
Please report dangerous potholes so they can be fixed. For roads maintained by the City of Camden, contact the Camden Department of Public Works at (856) 757-7034 or publicworks@ci.camden.nj.us. For roads maintained by Camden County, call (856) 566-2980 or fill out the online form here: http://www.camdencounty.com/your-government/offices-departments/public-works/public-works-clean-green
This week, the Camden County Police Department is honoring four Detective Bureau veterans –Detective Christy Divito, Detective Robert Chew, Detective Keith James and Sergeant William Wiley – whose tireless investigative work over the course of four weeks led to a pair of arrests in an attempted abduction case. They are the department’s Officers of the Week.
Detectives James and Chew are 25-year law enforcement veterans in Camden. Sgt. Wiley has served as an officer in Camden for 21 years in Camden and Detective Divito has 10 years experience as an officer with the Camden County Police Department, Delaware River and Bay Authority and Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office.
On the morning of Jan. 21, Camden County Police officers responded to the 100 block of North 6th Street where two men driving a white van had entered a salon and, at gunpoint, restrained a female employee inside the store with duct tape and zip ties. The suspects then forced the victim into a trash can and took her outside of the salon where they left her inside the trash can on the sidewalk and then fled the area.
Sgt. Wiley and Detectives Divito, Chew and James immediately began their investigation by interviewing the victim and other witnesses, collecting evidence and reviewing surveillance video from the area. They worked the case diligently for weeks to identify two suspects – Hasian Womack of Philadelphia and Willie Dennis of Indiana, Pa. The detectives then traveled to Philadelphia and western Pennsylvania and, on Feb. 19, arrested both suspects and executed five search warrants working in conjunction with multiple law enforcement partner agencies.
“Detective Divito, Detective Chew, Detective James and Sgt. Wiley went above and beyond on this investigation and were able to identify these subjects through countless interviews. This is a true example of hard work, dedication and determination paying off,” said Captain Gregory Carlin.
For their outstanding investigative work, the Camden County Police Department proudly recognizes Detective Divito, Detective Chew, Detective James and Sergeant Wiley as its latest Officers of the Week. Also nominated were Officers Gordon Harvey and Jorge Astuquiklca and Officer Keith McClain.
If you’re going away, even for just a day or two, fill out a form at the post office and get your mail delivery put on hold until you return. Burglars look for signs that homeowners are away in selecting homes to break into. A stuffed mailbox is an obvious clue to would-be thieves that no one is there. Also, if you subscribe to any newspapers, get delivery of those put on hold while you are away.
Parents, keep your children safe and prevent them from getting hit by a car by reinforcing the following pedestrian habits:
- Cross streets, especially those with continual motor vehicle traffic, only at intersections and crosswalks where drivers expect to see pedestrians.
- Never cross the street from in between parked cars. Pedestrians are often hurt or killed doing this.
- Before crossing, look in both directions.
- At night, make sure you can be seen by drivers when crossing or walking near a road.
- Where there are no sidewalks, walk as far off the roadway as possible.
- Obey all traffic signs and signals.
- Don’t play on driveways or sidewalks close to roads; the chance of getting hit by a car is greater there.
(Camden, NJ) – The Camden County Police Department is looking for a missing 16-year-old from East Camden.
Emonie Townsend was reported missing yesterday from her home on the 100 block of North 25th Street. Emonie is described as a back female, 5’1”, 110 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair. She was last seen two weeks ago and may have dyed her hair blonde. She has been reported missing six times previously and is known to frequent the 1200 block of Chase Street and the Ivy Hill Apartments.
Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to call the CCPD tip line at (856) 757-7042.
Parking facilities are places where criminals often look for victims to rob or assault. Take steps to keep yourself safe when parking and when returning to your car.
- At night, park under or near lights and, when walking to or from your car, take the most well-lit route.
- Lock your doors once you get inside your car.
- Back into spaces so if you need to get out quickly it’s easier.
- When walking back to your car, hold your keys in your hand so you can get into your car quickly.
- If you feel unsafe, ask a security guard to walk you to your car. If there is no security presence and you sense danger, leave and come back later. Trust your instincts.
- As you collect things in your car after parking, leave the engine running until you are ready to exit. Check your surroundings to make sure it is safe before getting out.
(Camden, NJ) – Officers arrested a suspect in possession of 60 vials of marijuana Tuesday after he ran from police following a motor vehicle stop in East Camden.
Officer Gordon Harvey and Officer Jorge Astuquiklca were on directed patrol addressing quality of life issues in East Camden Tuesday when, just after 12:30 p.m., they stopped an SUV for a motor vehicle infraction on the 3000 block of Benson Street. While they approached the vehicle, passenger Jamir King, 23, of Philadelphia, exited the vehicle and fled on foot. King was caught by Officer Harvey after a foot chase and found to be in possession of 60 vials of marijuana.
King was charged with Possession of Marijuana Under 50 Grams, Possession With Intent to Distribute, Possession With Intent to Distribute Within 1,000 feet of a School, Possession With Intent to Distribute Within 500 feet of a Park, Resisting Arrest and Tampering With Evidence. He was remanded to the county jail with bail set at $30,500 cash or bond.
Individuals charged with drug distribution are also served with a Drug Offender Restraining Order (DORO) prohibiting them from returning to the area where they were arrested.
Is your child ready to be home alone after school, and how can they stay safe?
When children reach a certain age and level of maturity, working parents may opt to have children be home alone after the school day ends. There are steps parents should take, things children must know, to make this a safe practice:
- Have kids check in with you or another close family member or neighbor upon arrival at home each day.
- Make sure they understand how to call 911 in case of an emergency, the address of the home and how to get to it.
- Kids should know how to use the locks on all doors and windows, and how to use a home alarm system if there is one in the house.
- They should never let anyone else into the house without permission.
- If anyone calls or knocks at the door, a child should never let that person know he or she is home alone. An answer such as, “Mom can’t come to the door right now” is an appropriate response.
- Teach them to not enter the home if something doesn’t look right such as a broken window, open door, etc.
- They should carry a house key with them in a safe place, but never leave one somewhere obvious such as under a mat or flower pot on the front porch.
- Make sure they know how to call you if something feels uncomfortable or not right.
The Camden County Police Department proudly recognizes Sgt. Phillip Wright as Officer of the Week.
Sgt. Wright, a Marine veteran and Camden native, has been a police officer in the city since 1996 when he began his law enforcement career with the former Camden Police Department. He joined the Camden County Police Department in March and has been involved in the training of new officers. He is currently assigned to the department’s Community Safety Division.
Sgt. Wright recently demonstrated his dedication to making the city safer by apprehending a murder suspect and an accomplice charged with attempted murder while he was off duty.
On Feb. 17, Marvin McLinton was shot and killed in a home on the 1800 block of S. 6th Street. A female victim in the home was also shot at but was able to escape without injury. Sgt. Wright learned about this crime the next morning and received information about the involvement of Isaac Bruce, 24, of Camden, and Sophia Faulkner, 31, of Camden and that both were possibly in East Camden. Sgt. Wright, who was off duty at the time, immediately relayed this information to the Detective Bureau. Sgt. Wright spotted Bruce and Faulkner standing near the corner of Morse and Thorndyke streets. He approached both suspects and ordered them to the ground. Bruce and Faulkner were then placed under arrest without incident and officers recovered a handgun from Bruce. Bruce has been charged with Murder and Attempted Murder and Faulkner has been charged with Attempted Murder.
“Sgt. Wright’s dedication and commitment to the department has been exemplified through his work, including this latest example,” said Lt. Benito Gonzalez. “And he has played a key role in the development of many of the department’s new police officers.”
For quickly tracking down and arresting two suspects involved in a murder and an attempted murder, Sgt. Phillip Wright is the Camden County Police Department Officer of the Week. Also nominated were Officers Joseph Olivo and Kenneth Ambrosia and Sgt. Jeremy Merck.
800 Federal St.
Camden, NJ 08103
(856) 757-7400
ccpolice@camdencounty.com
© 2013 Camden County Police Department | Website Designed by B Two Design
