What was once considered one of the most violent cities in the country is now seeing a resurgence.

Police said last year, Camden saw its lowest number of homicides in 40 years, and the city is beginning the new year with new crime-fighting tools.

On Tuesday, the Camden County Police Department accepted its largest private donation of $430,000 to expand the department's new drone program.

"This investment is doubling down to make Camden a safer city every day," Camden Mayor Victor Carstarphen said.

The Norcross Foundation and the Sidney and Sandy Brown Foundation/NFI Foundation handed over a check, which the department said will help purchase two new public safety drones.

Camden County Police launched its drone program about six months ago. CBS News Philadelphia first showed you how it works in September.

Several drones are being launched from rooftops across the city, giving officers eye-in-the-sky support to help track down stolen vehicles, manage large events, find missing people, identify illegal dumping and recover illegal guns.

"We've made several arrests, taking some very bad offenders off the street. We're keeping an eye on our places of worship, our children coming and going from schools," Camden County Police Chief Gabe Rodriguez said.

With the donation, nine drones will now be helping police keep watch over Camden.

The new tools come as the city closed out 2025 with 12 homicides. Police said that's down 29% from the 17 homicides reported in 2024. Since 2012, homicides in the city have fallen 82%.

According to the city, last year Camden also reported its first homicide-free summer in 50 years, and violent crime overall was down 6% compared to 2024.

"You have to build trust and confidence for communities to move forward, and over the past 10-11 years our police department has been working their behinds off engaging with communities," Carstarphen said.

The mayor and police chief credit the drop with the department's community policing model, partnerships with local, state, and federal agencies, and technology, which includes cameras, the gunshot detection system ShotSpotter, and the drones hovering overhead.

"We want you to know that we're watching you. If you don't see a police officer or a camera on a pole, these things are up there watching you," Rodriguez said.