OCEAN CITY – Police Chief John J. “Jay” Prettyman announced his retirement on Wednesday (Aug. 23) after a 32-year career in law enforcement.

Prettyman, 52, has been chief since February 2019, after serving for a year as acting chief.

He worked as a seasonal officer in Ocean City for two years and as a full-time officer in Haddon Heights for two years before joining the Ocean City Police Department full-time in September 1995. He worked as a patrolman, in the Traffic Safety Unit, and in the Community-Oriented Policing Unit before being promoted to sergeant of staff services in 2002, patrol lieutenant in 2006, detective lieutenant in 2007 and captain of police in 2008. He also served as the department’s accreditation manager and was assigned as a SWAT operator.

Prettyman will be succeeded by Deputy Chief William Campbell, a 30-year veteran of the Ocean City Police Department, who will become chief after Prettyman’s retirement in October.

“I want to thank the chief for his leadership, especially through some of the challenges we’ve faced in the past few years,” Gillian said. “I also want to welcome Bill. I’m confident that it will be a seamless transition and that he will continue Ocean City’s proud tradition of public safety.”