The Camden County Police Department will soon grow, now being able to add 15 more officers to the force, thanks to a federal grant. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Program allocated $1.875 million to CCPD, thus allowing the police department to address hiring needs.

U.S. Rep. Donald Norcross, who announced the award earlier this month, spoke on the impact that the funding will have on the police force’s continued growth.

“This funding will enable the Camden County Police Department to continue its mission of being a national example of community policing at its best, just as President Obama remarked when he visited Camden City last year. I know that under the leadership of Chief Scott Thomson, the Camden County Police Department will continue to make critical connections with our neighbors and build a lasting trust among community members to make Camden safer for its residents and visitors,” he said.

The COPS Hiring Program was designed to advance public safety through community policing by addressing the needs of state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies nationwide.  The program has awarded approximately $119 million this year to 184 agencies across the country, as they strengthen existing community policing efforts and develop innovative solutions to public safety issues.