Camden City Council held their December meeting on Tuesday, and members of the public expressed their concerns about the city.
The first member of the public to speak was Caroline Green, who directed her questions at Mayor Charlotte Young.
"My reason for being here tonight is that I want to know why the names of the supposed committee that was searching for a new police chief was not given to the public," Green said. "This is a great problem here. We pay taxes; we have no representation. This has to stop. There is a way, if you would, tell the people who these people are."
Green asked if the board of alderman had anything to do with the selection of the members of the committee for the new police chief.
"I want to see us go into a better 2025 with you at the head than we've had since you became mayor," Green said. "It's time for a change. Your conduct has divided this board; divided this city. It would do me a great deal of respect if I did not pick up a Parham Report and hear this stuff about voting along racial lines."
Green continued saying, "It's disrespectful to the citizens and the tax payers -- who pay your salary -- for you to continue down this road. I hope you don't continue down in 2025."
Green restated her question about the involvement of the board of alderman in selecting the new police chief.
"Will they have any role in selecting the police chief or are they just up here useless to the taxpayers and to the citizens of this community and to collect a check once a month?" Green asked.
Alderman Lawrence Askew asked if the mayor could answer Green's questions about who was on the selection committee for the new police chief.
"I mean, can they (Green) be answered about the selection committee and a couple of questions that she asked? I mean, they're real simple," said Askew. "I'm just asking if they can or cannot."
Young said it could be addressed later in the meeting, but the topic was not addressed again.
The next member of the public to speak to city council was Bryan Smith.
Smith said he would be running for City Alderman in Ward 3 in the next election, but was denied information when he went to the courthouse to inquire about the process.
"When I went to go get information, I went to the mayor's office. I went to the courthouse," Smith said. "I talked to Mr. Tom Horton and because I knew Mr. (Robert) Arnold and I'm affiliated at his church, I wasn't given no information. Again, I'm not going to tolerate no racial discrimination because I'm half Caucasian and I half my Filipino minority. I've dealt with it on several jobs, I've dealt with it in my marriage and I've dealt with it on several jobs."
Smith continued saying, "Try me on that and I will be getting an attorney because it's my right to run as an alderman for this city."
Smith next raised concerns about police brutality in the city and mentioned he had recently been given two traffic tickets in Camden.
"We need to address that. Jamario Bush gave me two tickets," Smith said. "I know I got expired tags and that's not right and yes, I'm holding myself accountable, as a leader, at this podium, but when I asked Camden Police Department and the police department to investigate my case, somebody racial profiling me, blackmailing me, and trying to rape my wife and it goes unsolved and I have to go to the FBI in El Dorado, it's not funny. I get unheard."
Smith said, "We need to do better as a community addressing things about for the people."
The next member of the public to address the council was Bishop Robert Arnold.
Arnold said he hopes the new members of the council will do a better job in holding the mayor accountable in the new year.
"Whoever sits in that seat needs to be held accountable," said Arnold. "To whom much is given, much is required. The word ain't changed, it's in the book if you ain't throw it out, but we want to go ahead on and walk around different stuff. And respectfully, mayor, we voted you in.
"You walk around here in that disrespectful manner at times. Like you ain't got to discuss it with every citizen. Yeah, we voted you in. You have two years, you have two years. We can vote you out."
Arnold brought up the recent community meeting where the mayor spoke to the citizens about crime in the city.
"You told me you would have a town hall meeting where the citizens could ask you questions," Arnold said. "How you going to have a town hall meeting where the citizens can't ask you questions? We hired you. We pay your salary. How dare you insult our intelligence by having a meeting where we can't ask you a question."
Arnold continued saying, "You basically gave what you wanted to give, but that can't work. You are a leader in this city. You have to be accountable. You have to answer the tough questions. That's what leaders do. You need to bring this city together, not just for special interest groups. You need to bring the city together."
"Since you've been in office, mayor, we've had a divided Camden, however you want to look at it," he said. "I respect leadership. I respect you, but that flip-flopping depends on what crowd you're in -- that's got to stop."
Arnold next mentioned having seen something at Carnes Park.
"I pray and I hope what I see going on at Carnes Park ain't what I see," said Arnold. "I hope it ain't what I see and I'll bring that up later, because there's some things that's in the atmosphere that ain't right."
No further mention of Carnes Park was made during the meeting.
The last member of the public to speak was newly elected Alderman Willie Cooper.
Cooper thanked each of the aldermen leaving office for their service saying, "from the people, we say 'thank you.'"
"Here in the city of Camden," Cooper said, "just because you're leaving that seat right there -- just because you're leaving that seat Mr. (L. E.) Lindsey -- just because you're leaving that seat Mr. (Chris) Aregood, don't turn us away. Don't leave us. Don't leave us.
"We have some goals set and we're going to need all the help that we can in order to receive those goals -- in order to achieve those goals."
Cooper went on to say, "Thank you all again. Thank you so much. Alderman (Marvin) Moore, you just don't know what you've done to me inside, but I thank you. Thank you."