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Obama to travel to Camden, NJ, meet with police

by Jorda Fabian 05/14/15 01:09 PM CDT

President Obama will travel to Camden, N.J., on Monday to visit with police officers and community members, the White House said Thursday.

The president will meet with local law enforcement and young people in the Camden community.

“The president will hear directly about the efforts of the Camden County Police Department to build trust between their department and the community they serve,” according to a White House statement.

{mosads}Obama will discuss how the “Promise Zones,” part of a federal program, are “a crucial part of creating ladders of opportunity for all Americans.”

The trip comes as tensions between law enforcement agencies and their communities have entered the national spotlight following police-related deaths of young black men in Baltimore; Ferguson, Mo.; and North Charleston, S.C., among other cities.

The White House has sought to emphasize its efforts to address the problem.

Last month, the Obama administration selected Camden as one of eight new “Promise Zones,” a federal program that gives preferential treatment to struggling municipalities applying for anti-poverty, health and crime-prevention grants.

Camden’s troubled police force was eliminated in 2012, and a new county-run force has been credited with improving community relations while driving down crime.

Last week, Attorney General Loretta Lynch met with community leaders and law enforcement officials in Baltimore. Her visit came a week after riots broke out in response to the death of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man who died while in police custody. Charges were filed against the six officers involved in the incident.

The White House has said Obama has no immediate plans to visit Baltimore.