By MADDY VITALE
Ocean City, like so many other shore towns over the past summer, endured rowdy teens on bicycles and in large gatherings, at times being obnoxious and disturbing what would typically be a family night filled with Boardwalk amusements and fun.
Police Chief Jay Prettyman, Mayor Jay Gillian, City Council, community leaders and merchants did what they could to let these young people know that this type of behavior is disruptive and unnecessary and certainly not representative of “America’s Greatest Family Resort.”
While they were isolated events, according to officials, and did not pose public safety concerns, it still created a nuisance nonetheless.
Prettyman announced a new program Tuesday, the Citizens Police Academy, that he hopes will help further community knowledge of what police officers do and enable them to become more involved in the process.
Participants will attend classes from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Tuesdays from March 8 through May 10 at the Ocean City Free Public Library and sometimes at the police department.
They will go over an array of topics and learn about police units, including the Community Policing Unit and the Traffic Safety Unit.
“I am extremely excited to announce this new program. I hope to continue to build bridges within our community and give our residents a more intimate understanding of how our department operates and what the officers do each day,” Prettyman commented to
OCNJDaily.com on Tuesday.
The program offers residents the opportunity to learn about the internal operations of the Ocean City Police Department. Participants will be able to share their experiences and information with family, friends, co-workers and neighbors to further improve and strengthen community-police relations, according to a city news release.
The Citizens Police Academy participants will learn about the Community Policing Unit.
Mayor Jay Gillian said it will be an excellent way to create an even better relationship between the community and the police.
“It's an opportunity for the police and the community to learn and work together,” Gillian emphasized in a text Tuesday.
Like other shore towns, including neighboring Sea Isle City, there was little that law enforcement officers could do during teenage rowdiness last summer because of juvenile justice reform regulations that went into effect in New Jersey in 2021.
Sea isle will host a meeting Friday to discuss the rowdy juveniles witnessed in shore towns this past summer. Sea Isle’s Mayor Leonard Desiderio, Mayor Gillian, state Sen. Michael Testa, Assemblyman Antwan McClellan, of Ocean City, and Assemblyman Erik Simonsen, all of whom represent the First Legislative District, and other elected officials, will be in attendance.
To attend Ocean City's Citizens Police Academy, people are asked to fill out applications. The police department is now accepting applications.
Prettyman said the academy is another program "to expand our community-based efforts."
“It will open lines of communication and create a better understanding among the community of police operations in Ocean City," he said.
The Citizens Police Academy is free and open to all Ocean City residents and business owners ages 18 or older.
Officers Jack Davis and Ben Bethea lead a bicycle safety presentation for almost 75 young teens from Ocean City in May 2021. (Photo courtesy City of Ocean City)
The course will cover different topics each week, including:
- Community Policing Unit
- Traffic Safety Unit
- K-9 Unit
- Police Dispatch
- IT Unit
- Training Unit
- Detectives
- Administration
Applications can be picked up in person at the Ocean City Police Department or downloaded at www.ocnj.us. Citizens Police Academy class size is limited. For more information, please email [email protected] or call (609) 525-4252.
