The West Wildwood Police Department has struggled with a shortage of officers.
North Wildwood police will help out in patrolling the tiny borough of West Wildwood during a critical shortage of officers, according to a new agreement between both towns announced Thursday by the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office.
The governing bodies of North Wildwood and West Wildwood signed a shared services agreement for temporary police patrols that takes effect 12:01 a.m. Friday, July 4, and continues through Dec. 31, 2025.
During this time, residents and visitors to West Wildwood will see patrol cars from both West Wildwood and North Wildwood, according to a news release by the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office.
The agreement stipulates that the North Wildwood Police Department will patrol West Wildwood during shifts that are not covered by the West Wildwood Police Department. Each department will be in command of their own officers who are out on patrol.
However, the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office will remain in overall charge of the West Wildwood Police Department and continue to provide criminal investigative services in West Wildwood.
The West Wildwood Police Department has struggled with a manpower crisis, including problems with recruiting and retaining officers.
Up to this point, the North Wildwood, Wildwood and Wildwood Crest police departments had been helping West Wildwood during its shortage of officers.
The mutual aid agreement involving the four towns will come to an end at midnight Friday, when the North Wildwood Police Department will help out with patrols under the new shared services pact, according to the news release.
“I would like to thank the North Wildwood Police Department, the City of Wildwood Police Department and the Wildwood Crest Police Department for stepping up during the term of the Mutual Aid arrangement to ensure that public safety was maintained in West Wildwood. We look forward to continuing to assist West Wildwood during this transition period,” Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey H. Sutherland said in the release.
Sutherland noted that since January, there has been a critical reduction in personnel at the West Wildwood Police Department, which has “significantly impacted the department’s ability to ensure public safety.”
