Guardian: Atlantic City Needs 50 More Police Officers Despite Drop in Violent Crime

ATLANTIC CITY — Atlantic City has made significant strides in reducing violent crime, but Assemblyman Don Guardian says an outside review concluded the city still needs approximately 50 additional police officers to provide the level of public safety and police visibility it needs.

Guardian, a former Atlantic City mayor who now represents New Jersey's 2nd Legislative District, discussed policing, crime and the city's ongoing redevelopment during an appearance Wednesday on The Lorry Young Show on WOND.

Guardian said a recent assessment of the Atlantic City Police Department was conducted by an association of police chiefs and concluded the department needs additional manpower.

"They issued a report and the bottom line is, after you get to 320, which is what I believe is the number of police officers we have now, they're saying you need another 50," Guardian said.

Guardian said the report had not yet been widely reported publicly. South Jersey NewsBeat has not independently obtained a copy of the assessment.

He believes the state and Casino Reinvestment Development Authority should help Atlantic City address the staffing need.

Guardian's comments come just days after the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office released statistics showing substantial declines in shootings and homicides in Atlantic City.

According to the Prosecutor's Office, Atlantic City recorded five nonfatal shootings through July 31, compared with 40 in all of 2021. The city has recorded one homicide through the first seven months of this year, compared with 11 in 2021.

Guardian credited cooperation among law enforcement agencies for the improvement.

"You've got to work together," Guardian said. "And what they've done is they've reduced the serious crime that's out there."

He pointed specifically to reductions in shootings, stabbings, killings and home invasions.

"That's all really good," Guardian said. "That's what happens when people are working together, when there's a coordination of efforts. And that's what you need."

Guardian praised the Atlantic City Police Department as well as Atlantic County Sheriff Joseph O'Donoghue and the county Prosecutor's Office.

He said technology has also become increasingly important, pointing to expanded use of cameras and other tools that can help police identify and track suspects.

But Guardian said the impact is noticeable beyond major crime statistics.

A resident of Atlantic City's inlet area, Guardian said this summer has been noticeably quieter around Gardner's Basin and the seawall.

"This is the first summer — and I'm talking about up in Gardner's Basin and at the seawall — that every night, every night since the summer began, it is absolutely quiet," Guardian said.

He described sitting outside with neighbors without the screaming, loud music, broken bottles and other disturbances he said had occurred during previous summers.

"They have stopped all of that bad behavior from occurring, and it's really, really wonderful to see it," Guardian said.

Guardian acknowledged those quality-of-life issues are different from violent crimes such as shootings and homicides, but said both are important to making residents and visitors feel secure.

That perception of safety, he argued, is particularly important as Atlantic City attempts to attract new homeowners and private investment.

"You need to have safe streets, and that's what they've accomplished," Guardian said. "Then you have to have the perception of safe, and the perception of safe is when you're walking along and you feel safe."

Guardian said putting another 50 officers on the streets would increase that visibility.

"It'll look and feel safe," Guardian said. "And you know, listen, when you go to another city, you're looking for that before you step outside the hotel."

For a city attempting to expand beyond its traditional casino economy and attract more permanent residents, Guardian believes that feeling could be just as important as the falling crime numbers themselves.