Ex Camden City Cops Sue Over Alleged Discrimination

By David Madden

CAMDEN, N.J., (CBS) -- Thirteen former Camden City police officers have gone to court against the Camden County police department, the entity that took over police services two and a half years ago.

The suit, filed in Superior Court, charges the County with age and race discrimination. It contends the plaintiffs all applied before a deadline of March 2013 to be carried over from city to county employment.

County officials beg to differ.

"These individuals, all of them in this lawsuit, none of them applied within the prescribed time line," Camden County spokesman Dan Keashen told KYW Newsradio.

One hundred fifty-seven former Camden City cops did meet the deadline and were hired by the county. Keashen says the 13 former officers did apply after the deadline, and were lumped in with a couple thousand other applicants, but were not hired.

"This lawsuit is completely frivolous," Keashen said "It's a waste of time for the taxpayers to even have to address it."

This is also the latest in a series of legal actions taken in the wake of the formation of the county force, all of which have failed to this point.

An attorney for the plaintiffs was not available for comment.