Camden County Police Department Swears In First Latino Chief

CAMDEN, NJ — For the first time ever, the Camden County Police Department has a Latino person at its helm. This week, East Camden native and longtime officer Gabriel Rodriguez was sworn in as the department's chief.

Rodriguez joined the Camden City Police Department in 2003 and rose through the ranks to local law enforcement's highest leadership position, said board of county commissioners director Louis Cappelli, Jr.

Rodriguez, who holds a bachelor’s degree in Science for Individualized studies from Fairleigh Dickinson University, served as a patrol officer with the former city department and as a member of the community policing unit.

He also served as a member of the department's crimes task force and as a detective with the strategic multi-agency shooting and homicide team before being made a sergeant with the Camden County Police Department in 2013.

Since 2013, Rodriguez has worked as a supervisor on the operations bureau, community safety team and in the real-time tactical operational intelligence center. Most recently, he was the commander of strategic deployment, executive protection and NRT central units.

He said his new goal is to continue the department's progressive improvements seen over the last decade, including maintaining a low crime rate and high rate of solved homicides.

“I’m looking forward to leading this agency and continuing to work alongside some of the most talented men and women in law enforcement. The work each officer has done over the last eight years has changed the city and made it a better place to live, work and raise a family,” Rodriguez said in a statement. “Today, Camden is a different place than it was 10 years ago, and my vision is to work with everyone in the city to continue the progress we’ve made in this effort and build on the foundation that was laid before me.”