Chief Scott Tomson of Camden, NJ.One of the major struggles between police and community members is often police use of deadly force. J. Scott Tomson of the Camden County Police Department has done a noteworthy job of modeling reform in this area. The above video captures two incidents that in many city would result in the death or serious injury of the persons involved.
The video above shows that uses of deadly force can be reduced through training, policy, and leadership.
Tomson was sworn in as chief of the Camden County Police Department on May 1, 2013. Prior to that, he had worked his way up the ranks of the former city department and had served as their chief since 2008. He began his law enforcement career in 1992. He holds an M.A. in Education from Seton Hall University and a B.A. in Sociology from Rutgers University.
He received the coveted Gary P. Hayes Memorial Award from the Police Executive Research Forum for innovation and leadership in policing and provided testimony for the President’s Task Force Report on 21st Century Policing on using community policing to reduce crime.
He was an Executive Fellow for the Police Foundation in Washington, D.C., a member of the Harvard University Law Enforcement Summit Executive Leadership Group and currently serves as President of the Police Executive Research Forum in Washington, D.C.
I served over 20 years as the chief of police in Madison (WI), four years as chief of the Burnsville (MN) Police Department, and before that as a police officer in Edina (MN) and the City of Minneapolis. I hold graduate degrees from the University of Minnesota and Edgewood College in Madison. I have written many articles over my years as a police leader calling for police improvement (for example, How To Rate Your Local Police, and with my wife, Sabine, Quality Policing: The Madison Experience). After retiring from the police department, I answered a call to ministry, attended seminary, and was ordained as a priest in the Episcopal Church. After 25 years leading two Episcopal Churches in Portage and North Lake, Wisconsin, I now serve as Associate Pastor in a growing, dynamic, and Spirit-filled Lutheran congregation in nearby Black Earth. After losing Sabine, my wife of 40 years to cancer, I met Christine, a retired nurse and widow. We were blessed to find love again and married in 2021.
View all posts by David Couper
I wrote about this two years ago. Why aren’t there more police departments releasing video to show and ‘Celebrate’ SAVES when they happen? I’m certain that there are more ‘SAVES’ (when an officer could legally use deadly force-but didn’t) than there are actual fatal shootings. See page 14 ‘Commentaries’ in Las Vegas Tribune edition February 25-March 3, 2015.http://lasvegastribune.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/lvt20150225.pdf
Improving Police: A Necessary Conversation 
Reblogged this on World4Justice : NOW! Lobby Forum..
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I wrote about this two years ago. Why aren’t there more police departments releasing video to show and ‘Celebrate’ SAVES when they happen? I’m certain that there are more ‘SAVES’ (when an officer could legally use deadly force-but didn’t) than there are actual fatal shootings. See page 14 ‘Commentaries’ in Las Vegas Tribune edition February 25-March 3, 2015.http://lasvegastribune.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/lvt20150225.pdf
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A very good point. On today’s post, I highlight the work of the Camden County Police Dept. under Chief Scott Tomson and how they have worked to reduce deadly force use. See two good examples of lifesaving: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/02/nyregion/camden-nj-police-shootings.html
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