Camden Settlement: Perform Thorough Searches
Campus police departments should take note of this multi-million dollar settlement.
The city of Camden, N.J., has agreed to pay $2.25 million to the families of four children who died of suffocation after accidentally locking themselves in the trunk of a vehicle. The families claim the police were liable because they didn’t find the children in time, according to ABC News.
Lawyers for the families say the police who conducted the search were disorganized and didn’t follow protocols because they weren’t trained properly.
Specifically, one of the officers who conducted the search checked the car, but not the trunk because she was pulled away from the search and did not return to complete the inspection. The children were found three days later by a relative.
It should be noted that although the case has been settled, Camden Police admitted no wrongdoing. Still, the case highlights how the public’s perception of a search and investigation can expose a law enforcement agency to damaging lawsuits.
To read the full story, click here.
If you appreciated this article and want to receive more valuable industry content like this, click here to sign up for our FREE digital newsletters!
About the Author
Robin Hattersley, Editor-in-Chief
Robin has been covering the security and campus law enforcement industries since 1998 and is a specialist in school, university and hospital security, public safety and emergency management, as well as emerging technologies and systems integration. She joined CS in 2005 and has authored award-winning editorial on campus law enforcement and security funding, officer recruitment and retention, access control, IP video, network integration, event management, crime trends, the Clery Act, Title IX compliance, sexual assault, dating abuse, emergency communications, incident management software and more. Robin has been featured on national and local media outlets and was formerly associate editor for the trade publication Security Sales & Integration. She obtained her undergraduate degree in history from California State University, Long Beach.
Related Content
Leading in Turbulent Times: Effective Campus Public Safety Leadership for the 21st Century
This new webcast will discuss how campus public safety leaders can effectively incorporate Clery Act, Title IX, customer service, “helicopter” parents, emergency notification, town-gown relationships, brand management, Greek Life, student recruitment, faculty, and more into their roles and develop the necessary skills to successfully lead their departments. Register today to attend this free webcast!
