I forgot about Camden and I don’t think people ever laid out exactly what they did when I read about it before. This is a great article. If police forces just trained the deescalation part, we’d be in better shape. I also like that the police becomes part of the community and is vulnerable to it the first day.

It starts from an officer’s first day: When a new recruit joins the force, they’re required to knock on the doors of homes in the neighborhood they’re assigned to patrol, he said. They introduce themselves and ask neighbors what needs improving.

Training emphasizes deescalation, he said, and the department’s use of force policy makes clear that deadly force is the last option.

Now, police host pop-up barbecues and pull up in Mister Softee trucks to get to know residents, Cappelli said. They host drive-in movie nights – recently, the movie of choice was “The Lion King” – along what used to be known as the city’s “Heroin Highway.”

The community-first initiative has made improving diversity within the force a priority, too. Whites are the minority in Camden, so Cappelli said the new department has hired more black and brown officers to serve black and brown residents. (Cappelli didn’t have exact numbers for the increase, but said it’s improved.)