Changes to the Ocean City Police Department Seasonal Program Expected in 2025
OCEAN CITY, MD – (February 14, 2024): They say all good things must come to an end. The long-standing tradition of the Ocean City Police Department employing Seasonal Police Officers is potentially closing at the end of the 2024 summer season.
Thousands of law enforcement officials around the country began their careers as seasonal police officers. For years, it was one of the most sought-after summer careers and internship opportunities with colleges and universities in the North East. In recent years, we have seen a steady decline in the seasonal officer interest. The birth of the new police reforms nationwide, along with potential changes to the Maryland police certification process, has set us on the path to transition away from the seasonal police officer position.
Our residents and visitors can still expect to see seasonal police officers and public safety aides out and about this summer. The Training and Recruiting Section is wrapping up the summer of 2024 recruiting and hiring process. During this cycle, we recruited at fifty-two different recruiting events, including universities, colleges, high school visits, and job fairs, and hosted several Zoom recruiting sessions.
The law enforcement career field used to be very competitive, with few vacancies. As interest in law enforcement has downshifted, most agencies are now competing against one another to fill their spots from a smaller applicant poll. This has led to most college students jumping straight into full-time police positions rather than starting as a seasonal police officer to bolster their resume and experience.
On the home front, the Town of Ocean City is growing and becoming a year-round destination. With the recent boost in off-season events and dwindling seasonal police officer interest, the Ocean City Police Department recognizes that we must shift our focus to full-time law enforcement help.
The Ocean City Police Department will continue to live by and honor our mission statement that we shall provide the highest degree of ethical behavior, professional conduct, and quality police services to all residents and visitors with this monumental change. “We are thankful for the continued support from the Mayor and City Council,” commented Chief Ross Buzzuro. “With their full support, we are looking to add additional full-time police officer positions to ensure the Town of Ocean City remains the safe and family-friendly destination it is known for.”
The Town of Ocean City is currently working on the budget for FYI 2025. This allows us to request additional personnel and bolster our recruiting efforts. “We have a great working partnership with the Mayor and City Council and will ensure we are budget conscious while also ensuring the town’s safety,” commented Chief Buzzuro.
Jim Rohn once said, “All good men and women must take responsibility to create legacies that will take the next generation to a level we could only imagine.” The Seasonal Police Officer Program has created countless legacies for many of our own police officers and law enforcement professionals nationwide. It is our time to close that door and create new legacies in Ocean City with additional full-time police officers and seasonal Public Safety Aides. Working together, we will ensure the Town of Ocean City remains safe and somewhere to smile about.
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