Report: Shuttering N.J. Police Department 'Would Be the Best Option'
From chain of command issues to problems handling evidence, a 134-page report outlined multiple problems with the West Wildwood Police Department and called for its disbanding.
Source The Press of Atlantic City, Pleasantville, N.J.
June 4, 2025
2 min read
West Wildwood, NJ, Police Department
What to know
A report by the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police recommend the West Wildwood Police Department be disbanded because of operational and financial concerns.
The 134-page report cites significant issues, including poor evidence handling, lack of investigative capacity, minimal staffing and weak community engagement.
The current force has only four full-time officers and a part-time officer.
WEST WILDWOOD, NJ — The tiny borough should disband its police department and contract with neighboring Wildwood for police services, according to a recent report from the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police.
The 134-page report outlined multiple problems with the department, from the chain of command to how evidence is handled to recruiting and retaining officers.
“We understand there have been discussions with the city of Wildwood Police Department to partially cover the borough and possibly as a full-time contract service,” the report states. “Our review demonstrates that geographically and financially this would be the best option. We also believe it would provide uninterrupted services to the borough and its residents.”
Jane E. DiDattia, the West Wildwood commissioner responsible for public affairs and public safety, did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday morning.
Since February, Detective Mark Weeks of the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office has been the officer in charge in West Wildwood, since former Chief Jacquelyn Ferentz began a leave of absence in advance of her retirement. As of late April, the report states, there were four full-time police officers in the department and a single part-time officer.
West Wildwood police have almost no accountability for issued police equipment and no investigative function aside from uniformed officers for cases that are not forwarded to the Prosecutor’s Office, the report states.
The report also faulted the department’s community outreach.
“The police department is lacking in community policing and are non-existent with any social media presence to keep the residents informed,” the report states. “These functions are essential to building community trust relationships.”
