A Pennsylvania mayor slammed a police officer who left the force to compete on Love Island USA. The Mayor called out the move, stating that the department is short-staffed and short by several thousand dollars. This was regarding Sean Reifel, an Easton native, who joined the Bethlehem Police Department last year.
J. William Reynolds was disappointed to see Sean Reifel resign
A Pennsylvania mayor has criticized Sean Reifel, an Easton native who joined the Bethlehem Police Department last year. This was after he left the force to join Love Island USA. Peacock announced the cast for the eighth season of the reality show on Thursday, and Reifel was among the 12 contestants.
“I’m not a model, not an actor, I’m a police officer actually,” Reifel says in the show’s trailer. “You could be having the worst day of your life, and I’ll just help you sift through that.”
A captain with the police department reportedly stated that Reifel is no longer employed there as of this month. Meanwhile, Bethlehem Mayor J. William Reynolds said that Reifel resigned from his position to participate in the show. Reynolds expressed disappointment about the decision.
“Our police department spent a lot of time training, and we paid thousands of taxpayer dollars to send him to the police academy. We are disappointed he left, as we now have another vacancy in our department that is impossible to fill until next year,” Reynolds said (via Fox8). “I never thought I’d see the day in America where reality show participation wins out over being a police officer.”
Reynolds swore in Reifel on August 18, 2025. Less than a year has passed since that appointment.
As Love Island USA is filmed in real time, Reifel may have already been in the villa when Reynolds made the statement.
