J. William Reynolds, the mayor of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, slammed Sean Reifel for quitting his job as a police officer to star on season 8 of “Love Island USA.”
Reynolds expressed disappointment in Reifel for leaving less than one year after being sworn in, noting the investment made in his training, and the gap in community services, told local outlet WHTM, May 29.
“Our police department spent a lot of time training and we paid thousands of taxpayer dollars to send him to the police academy,” Reynolds said.
“I never thought I’d see the day in America where reality show participation wins out over being a police officer,” Reynolds said.
A Facebook post shared by the Bethlehem Police Department revealed Reifel was sworn in on August 18, 2025 by Mayor Reynolds, “taking his oath to serve and protect the City of Bethlehem with integrity, professionalism, and dedication.”
Reynolds doubled down on the impact of Reifel’s decision to abandon his commitment and emphasized the impact on the community at large.
“We are disappointed he left, as we now have another vacancy in our department that is impossible to fill until next year,” Reynolds said.
Bethlehem Police Chief Michelle Kott also addressed Reifel’s departure from the force during a May 30 interview with The Morning Call.
“I love Sean, he’s a good guy, he was a great officer, but I’m disappointed,” she said.
“Just because we work so incredibly hard to try to recruit the best people we can to be part of the Bethlehem Police Department.”
Kott commented on Reifel’s abrupt decision by saying, “It’s just a bad look to me.”
“Departments across the country … are struggling to fill vacancies,” she said. (RELATED: Actor’s Girlfriend Breaks Silence After Son Arrested For Allegedly Fatal Stabbing)
Bethlehem police officer resigns to appear on reality show ‘Love Island,’ mayor says https://t.co/TxaJtsZS5O
— Action News on 6abc (@6abc) June 4, 2026
“At this time, I don’t think there’d be a department that would be willing to allow someone to leave for ‘x’ amount of weeks to go on a television show when everyone’s hurting right now and overtime is being utilized to fill those gaps. Officers are getting burnt out.”
Reifel’s final day on the job was May 20, not long before the June 2 premiere of “Love Island USA” season 8. During the debut episode, he quickly formed a connection with Paralympian Beatriz Hatz, sharing several steamy kisses as their romance began to unfold.