Island Police Chiefs Embrace Challenges, ‘Building Relationships’

NORTH WILDWOOD ─ Flip Flopz Beach Bar and Grill saw more than the usual summer fare of sandals, sunglasses, and T-shirts March 9.
Under sunny skies more akin to May or early June, polished dress shoes, crisp white shirts, and officer “blues” made an entrance as heads of the Wildwoods’ police departments arrived for the Greater Wildwood Chamber of Commerce meeting.
Community relations displayed themselves in the words of West Wildwood Chief Jackie Ferentz, in “building relationships.” Throughout the nation, police-community relations often fade into violence. The officers who went presented an example of what is possible.
After chamber Executive Director Tracey DuFault, gave the welcome, Jacqueline Fiore, board president, introduced Capt. Joseph McGrath of Wildwood Crest.
Wildwood Crest
McGrath said 19 full-time officers are employed in the borough and, according to McGrath; they are seeking to hire two more. He announced that the Crest was the first “to deploy body cameras” for its officers.
McGrath also gave a list of what he is “proud of” concerning the department. The “Adopt a Cop” Program is an initiative where an officer will follow a particular grade throughout the school year and visit the class.
National Night Out, organized in 2015, also proved a success as officers participated. McGrath described the crowd as “unbelievable” and said they are expecting “at least a third more” this year.
According to McGrath, the “dunk tank” proved very popular with young people, especially since the person sitting in the tank was a police officer.
A prescription drug program is also making progress. Residents may bring out-of-date or no longer needed mediations and safely and anonymously dispose of them. When asked what happens to the medications, McGrath replied they are taken to the Prosecutor’s Office and “incinerated.”
West Wildwood
Chief Jackie Ferentz of West Wildwood was next. Ferentz said that West Wildwood was “glad to be included.”
Although the borough’s department is very “transitional,” Ferentz is glad to be part of the “Mayberry on the Bay” where people greet you by name. Ferentz stressed the borough’s usage of social media to interact with residents, fulltime and summer, and keep the community up to date with weather and other events.
“How can we talk to our community better?” Ferentz asked, referencing the department’s question a few years ago. By posting and monitoring Facebook and Twitter, West Wildwood created a place where residents and police interact: asking questions, answering them, and even taking criticism where both sides have a voice.
“Now we know what people are thinking; we need to embrace each other,” Ferentz said.
Ferentz commented on “too much tension” between law enforcement and the communities they serve. “We’re still learning every day,” Ferentz concluded. “It’s all about embracing the community.”
North Wildwood
Chief Matthew Gallagher of North Wildwood concurred with the outlet social media provides. “I’m not a Facebook guy,” Gallagher admitted. “I was a doubter.”
As times and methods change, Gallagher said he is “proud of the North Wildwood Police Department.” Handling crime and summer issues, Gallagher said professionalism and courtesy are stressed in the department and to officers.
During the summer, most calls come from the beach, bars, and boardwalk, he said. “We are a can-do department,” Gallagher said.
If an officer cannot answer a question, then an answer will be found from another source. “It’s all about the quality of life,” said Gallagher. Forty two Class 2 officers are hired during the summer, although Gallagher says that finding candidates is a harder process.
“We’re like a training ground,” Gallagher explained and told of recruiting at colleges in the region.
Later, candidates often return to their hometowns and receive higher wages. However, despite changes, Gallagher is optimistic and remarked on how only two “party houses” remain in the city.
From handling special events to training for potential active shooter situations, Gallagher urged business owners and residents to call.
Wildwood
Chief Robert Regalbuto of Wildwood, or “Rags,” took the podium. “Everything they said, we do,” Regalbuto said. After laughter from those in attendance, Regalbuto said that what sets them apart is that Wildwood “is a small town” with “big-city crime.”
According to Regalbuto, past administrations “downplayed” to need for police. “We were a reactive department,” said Regalbuto. “We did not have the man-power.”
Regalbuto is thankful for the present administration and for the federal government which do “understand.”
Funds for equipment and for hiring officers continue to come to Wildwood. Seasonal officers will be paid $13 an hour in an effort to draw more candidates.
“We can’t compete,” explained Regalbuto, who used MacDonald’s as an example. The “steady eight-hour shifts” are now replaced with 12-hour shifts and improvements in equipment have been made. “We went from reactive to proactive,” Regalbuto said.
“You want to reduce crime?” Regalbuto said. “Put cops out on the streets.”
Regalbuto desires a community where police proactively engage with residents and guests and know one another on a first-name basis.
In regard to Wildwood’s drug problems, Regalbuto said “We’re doing our best to get it out.”