2003 Media Releases:

CAMDEN COUNTY PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE
VINCENT P. SARUBBI, CAMDEN COUNTY PROSECUTOR
MEDIA   INFORMATION

March 8, 2003

Camden County Prosecutor Vincent P. Sarubbi reported today that he received a request from Camden City government leaders to assume control of the Camden Police Department.

In a letter dated March 7, 2003, Camden Mayor Gwendolyn Faison and the city's Chief Operating Officer, Melvin R. "Randy" Primas, asked Sarubbi to exercise his authority under state law to "supersede the organization of the City of Camden Police Department and temporarily assume control of day-to-day operations of that department."

Last week, Faison and Primas suspended Camden Police Chief Robert Allenbach with the intent to dismiss him, citing the department's failure under Allenbach to make meaningful progress in areas of concern noted in a June 2002 state Division of Criminal Justice report. Many of those same concerns had been cited in state reports as far back as 1996. Sarubbi, a member of a committee given the task of implementing state recommendations, last week issued a report updating city and state officials. The report detailed the lack of progress in areas of concern and serious and ongoing problems.

Sarubbi said today that he has taken the city's supersession request under advisement. He added that he intends to discuss the matter early this week with Acting State Attorney General Peter Harvey.

Sarubbi noted that state ad already encouraged him earlier this year to take control of the Camden Police Department. The Prosecutor said he is considering the requests because of administrative and management deficiencies within the department, and noted that the reports fault management practices, not officers' work on the street. Sarubbi praised the department's officers for their dedicated efforts to protect the safety of city residents, businesses and visitors.

Areas of concern noted in the reports include a backlog of more than 500 Internal Affairs cases, inadequate training and professionalism in the city's emergency dispatch center and the need for centralized roll call to improve accountability and enable commanders to better deploy officers to areas of immediate need.

"It is apparent that attempts to address these issues have been frustrated by management and organizational issues in the department," Faison and Primas wrote in their letter to Sarubbi.

"It is our sense," Faison and Primas wrote, "given the longstanding nature of these issues and the apparent internal resistance to change indicated in the report, that the necessary changes could be best managed by an outside law enforcement agency with the authority under state law to implement the required policies and organizational changes and provide the appropriate technical assistance to the department."

Faison and Primas went on to state, "We are convinced the safety of residents and the many visitors to the city will be enhanced by your acceptance of this task."

Sarubbi said that should he decide supersession is appropriate, he would work in coordination with Acting Police Chief Edwin Figueroa. Faison and Primas appointed Figueroa last week to replace Allenbach on an interim basis.