Katrina Maccombs: Latest News

CAMDEN, N.J. - After the mass shooting in the southern Texas elementary school, New Jersey announced schools will have extra police presence. But, in Camden County, will the extra presence be permanent?Students flooded out of Camden High School in the afternoon, waving signs in solidarity and sorrow for the children and teachers massacred in Texas."Are you concerned about your safety?" FOX 29’s Jeff Cole asked."So, yes, because now it’s easier to get a gun anywhere, same as the 18-year-old in Texas," 9th grade student Damian Irizarry replied.RELATED HEADLINES:Some 400 students attend Camden High and there are many doors in the building, students say.That fear, largely brought on by the slaughter in Texas, is why officials gathered on the steps of the high school."Our young people and their families deserve to know and to be assured that their students are safe each and every day," Camden City Schools Superintendent Katrina McCombs stated.For the rest of the school year, Camden Police say they’re teaming up with the Camden County sheriffs to strengthen security outside more than a dozen school buildings in the city."We’re going to have two or three officers at every school patrolling and walking beats, as well," Chief of Police Gabriel Rodriguez said.It’s a heavy lift in a city struggling with grinding poverty, but the chief says he’ll have at least one cop outside all schools when students and staff are there."Could your officers stop an 18-year-old with an AK-15?" Cole asked."I’m sure they can.

CAMDEN - In an effort to strengthen relationships between law enforcement and the community, officers from the Camden County Police Department played dodgeball with 7th graders at Veterans Memorial Family School."Police officers are building relationships, positive relationships, with the youth in our city," said one officer. "This is great because they get to engage the youth in a fun way."The department has hosted a number of like-minded events to foster an alliance with community members of all ages.

CAMDEN, N.J. - Camden City schools are expected to receive $115 million in federal funding from the American Rescue plan for COVID relief.Most of the money will be spent fixing up the city’s school buildings, including replacing aging and expensive HVAC systems."We have to make sure our kids are in safe buildings and that our staff is safe.

CAMDEN, N.J. - Four schools are closing in Camden and that decision by the superintendent has some parents crying foul.Sharp, Wiggins, Cramer and Yorkshire are the four schools slated for closure at the end of the school year."Three of the four schools are 100 years old. There has been deferred maintenance because there has not been enough money to invest in the projects that are necessary to keep the buildings healthy for our young people," Superintendent Katrina McCombs stated.Deteriorating old facilities too expensive to correct is one reason.