Camden, N.J. Decision to Disband Local PD a "Union-Busting Tactic," Says Union Chief

The cash-strapped crime-ridden city will transfer policing responsibility to the county, whose police force will open a "Metro Division"

Crime-ridden Camden, New Jersey—often referred to as the most dangerous city in the United States—is getting rid of its police department.

In the latest example of a cash-strapped municipality taking drastic measures to deal with swollen public sector liabilities and shrinking budgets, the city plans to disband its 460-member police department and replace it with a non-union "Metro Division" of the Camden County Police. Backers of the plan say it will save millions of dollars for taxpayers while ensuring public safety, but police unions say it is simply a way to get out of collective bargaining with the men and women in blue.