WEST WILDWOOD – A standing-room-only crowd worried about the possible disbanding of the understaffed Police Department forced the Board of Commissioners to move its regular meeting outdoors on Friday, June 6.
A recent report prepared by the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police at West Wildwood’s request recommended that the force be dissolved and the borough contract with a neighboring municipality, likely Wildwood, for police services.
But for residents, the idea of having an outside agency policing their town did not sit well. They have been expressing their desire to keep their own officers in their community and not have to rely on a neighboring town burdened with a summer population boost and events attracting large crowds.
The commissioners, bolstered by representatives from the Chiefs Association, which was paid $15,000 for its report, on Friday repeated that West Wildwood is having a difficult time attracting officers to the department.
Commissioner Jane DiMattia, who is the borough’s director of public safety, read a statement in which she reminded residents that the Police Department has lost 24 officers over the last four and a half years.
Commissioner Joe Segrest echoed that, saying that of the six officers anticipated for the 2025 season, the borough has already lost police personnel.
Segrest said the expectation was that the WWPD would have six licensed police officers and one Class II officer at the start of summer. “Unfortunately, we lost our most senior licensed patrol officer at the end of February, and about five weeks later we lost both of our officers that were in the academy. Then in mid-May we lost our Class II officer,” he said.
DiMattia said the loss of so many officers in less than five years, coupled with the state attorney general’s mandated reporting and licensing requirements, makes providing the highest level of public safety a significant challenge.
“That said, I commend our current officers for the outstanding service they provide to the borough and the residents each and every day. However, they need help and support,” she said.
DiMattia, who became director of public safety in January, said officers deserve days off, vacation time and not to be forced to work mandatory overtime on a regular basis just to cover shifts. She said in order to support its officers, the borough has engaged in discussions with neighboring municipalities to assist the force by providing night shift coverage, as was done in late 2022.
Asked about the reasons behind the loss of two dozen officers in less than five years, Ray Hyaducka from the Chiefs Association said two of the biggest problems with retaining officers are the lack of opportunity for promotion and the amount a town can afford to pay officers.
Mayor Matt Ksiazek said the borough offered to pay more wages and expand opportunities, but it’s very difficult in a small department. The department currently has slots for a chief and a sergeant; Chief Jackie Ferentz is on leave pending her retirement.
Segrest said keeping the department and bringing up the staffing levels would result in a 42-cent tax rate increase in 2026 and an 18.5-cent increase in 2027. Property owners at the lower end of the spectrum, with homes assessed around $263,000, would see a tax increase of about $1,116 in 2026, he said. Property owners in the higher bracket would see an increase of more than $4,400 in the first year and close to $2,000 in the second year.
Resident Alex Love said he was a former Wildwood police officer, having served from 1963 to 1968. “Every town wants its own police department,” he said, adding that there is a cost to having one. He said the tax burden would go up, particularly on seniors who are on a fixed income.
“You will get to know the (Wildwood) officers,” he said. “And make sure you have a strong contract and you will get all the services you want.”
Another resident, Michael Mercurio, asked why the West Wildwood department didn’t simply hire on a part-time basis officers who already work for other departments; he was told state law doesn’t allow that. Mercurio warned that once the department is dissolved it is not coming back, even in the event that the shared services agreement becomes too expensive.
“Once it’s gone, it’s gone,” he said.
Resident Diane Juliano said it seemed like the matter was just being “thrown at us” and was a done deal.
“Why is all this coming at us now?” she asked.
“We don’t have an agreement on paper,” the mayor replied. “We’re working with different towns.”
Another resident, John McMahon, complained that the cost of keeping the department was roughly a third of the borough’s $3.9 million budget.
“It seems like a high amount,” McMahon said.
But he added: “I’m concerned that the police across the bridge have way too much going on.”
Adam Weissman said he wanted to know what assurance the borough residents would have that the Police Department building would be manned 24/7.
The next commissioners meeting is scheduled for Thursday, June 19, at 9 a.m. The normal Friday meeting of the month will be moved due to the July 4 holiday. That meeting is scheduled for Thursday, July 3, at 9 a.m.
Contact the reporter, Christopher South, at csouth@cmcherald.com or call 609-886-8600, ext. 128.
