New Jersey Attorney General Paula Dow has received a report from Camden officials about a spike in violence in a city that has long suffered from problems with crime.

The city of fewer than 80,000 has had 16 murders since Oct. 1, prompting one city council member to call for the National Guard to be sent in to help.

Camden has a longstanding crime problem. The often-criticized annual crime rankings released this week by CQ Press found the city to be the nation's second-most dangerous.

Some officials have said that things have gotten worse this year since half the police force was laid off in January.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

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