Rutgers Grad Takes the Helm at Camden Police Department

By Crystal Barkley ‘09

“A hard day starts at 6 a.m. and ends at 1 a.m. An easy day starts at 7 a.m. and ends at midnight.”

This is the life of John Scott Thomson CCAS ‘94, chief of the Camden City Police Department.  Thomson, a 14-year veteran of the force, replaced former Chief Edward G. Hargis in July 2008, following Hargis’ retirement.

Thomson’s career in law enforcement began in the summer of 1992 when he worked for the Avalon Police Department. After a brief stint with the Pennsauken Township Police Department, he joined the Camden Police Department as a patrol officer in 1994 and was quickly promoted to detective.   

As a Camden officer, Thomson has distinguished himself in the law enforcement community. His extensive background includes serving as an expert witness in narcotics trafficking trials. His role included explaining the customs and procedures involved with drug trafficking, and informing the jury on different slang terminology used when referring to specific drugs. In 2000, he received the Camden County Narcotics Detective of the Year Award presented by the New Jersey statewide Narcotics Commanders Association.

Thomson was promoted to lieutenant in 2004 and worked extensively with the Special Investigations Division on targeted high-intensity drug trafficking areas. As lieutenant, he earned the Camden Police Department Chief’s Service Award.

Earlier this year Thomson was promoted to deputy chief of police.  As deputy chief, he established the Camden Police Pinpoint Mapping Program. The program is used to locate crime trends in certain areas of the city.

As chief, Thomson’s role is to develop the department’s policy, oversee program operations, and ensure effective delivery of services to the community. His goal is to bridge the gap between the police and the community. “We have to lose our ‘us versus them’ mentality,” he says.

Thomson credits Rutgers-Camden, where he was a sociology major and criminal justice minor, with being an influential force in his life. “My time at Rutgers means a lot to me and helped shape the person I am today,” he says. He also credits Dr. Katrina Hazzard-Donald, former chair of the sociology department, for teaching him to think outside the box. “She was one of the best professors I’ve ever had as far as making me think.”

While enrolled as a full-time student, Thomson was a full-time employee with the Pennsauken Police Department. He deftly balanced the two responsibilities.

As a student at Rutgers-Camden, Thomson was a member of the track and field team and earned a varsity letter for his performances on the track. For several years, he held the track and field 100-meter record.

Perhaps his most memorable milestone at Rutgers-Camden was meeting his future wife, Zabrina Tejera CCAS ’97, GSC ’99.  He often saw Zabrina around campus and finally met her at a party. The couple married and today are the proud parents of sons Jack, 5, and Drew, 2. 

Thomson’s career extends beyond law enforcement. He has taught criminal justice courses as an adjunct professor at Camden County College, Fairleigh Dickinson University, and the New Jersey Police Training Commission. Following his graduation from Rutgers-Camden, he went on to earn a master’s degree in education from Seton Hall University in 2001.

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Crystal Barkley is an English major in her senior year at Rutgers-Camden.  She is minoring in journalism.