Police department struggles to hire summer officers – Star News Group

BRADLEY BEACH — The borough has been struggling to meet its law enforcement staffing needs for the busy summer season, due to a steady decline in the number of people interested in the job of special officers, according to Police Chief James Arnold. 

“It’s definitely a statewide issue,” Arnold told The Coast Star. “There’s not as much interest in law enforcement as a whole right now. So, you’re just not getting as many applicants. And that’s happened probably over the past four or five years.” 

Bradley Beach has a booming summer season, filled with town events like concerts in Riley Park, Fourth of July fireworks on the shore and tourists flocking daily to the beach. To address the population spike in the summer, the police department—like many shore…