Police Sections
Ocean City Police Department’s Mission Statement:
The Ocean City Police Department and the men and women, both sworn and civilian that fill its ranks, are committed to the highest levels of professionalism in providing service to both residents and visitors alike to 'Americas Greatest Family Resort', Ocean City New Jersey.
We dedicate ourselves to ensuring the public’s safety and will strive toward enhancing the quality of community life for all members of our community through the discharge of our duties in a manner consistent with fairness and impartiality, while respecting the individual’s dignity, constitutional rights and human rights.
We recognize that team work is the cornerstone upon which our success as a law enforcement organization is built. The foundation upon which that cornerstone is laid, is our partnership with the residents of the community we serve.
Chief of Police
The Police Chief is responsible for ensuring the safety and wellbeing of the residents and visitors to the City of Ocean City. Chief William Campbell is the 13th Chief of Police to serve on Ocean City’s Police Department since its first in 1887. Chief Campbell started his career with the department as a Seasonal Class I Officer in the summer of 1989. He returned the following summer as a Class I Officer and then worked as a Seasonal Class II Officer during the summers of 1991 and 1992. Chief Campbell was hired as a full-time officer in August of 1994. He was promoted to Sergeant in March 2004, Lieutenant in May 2008, Captain in February 2018, Deputy Chief in November 2021 and Chief in November 2023. In Chief Campbell’s current role, he is responsible for a full-time sworn staff of 68 officers, 14 full-time civilian staff, and approximately 15 part-time civilian staff members. In addition to the 82 full-time employees, Chief Campbell employs approximately 60 additional Seasonal Law Enforcement Officers during the summer season, due to the influx in population. These officers usually worked from April to October each year.
Under Chief Campbell, the department is currently organized into three divisions to include: Patrol Operations Division, Special Services Division, and the Professional Standards Division. Providing top level Customer Service to both residents and visitors of Ocean City is a primary focus. Members of the department are also proud of the fact that Ocean City is the second agency within the state to achieve Accreditation status through the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police Association. The department has since been reaccredited five times.
Chief Campbell was raised in Lansdowne, PA and is a graduate of Upper Darby High School. He continued his education and first attended Delaware County Community College where he earned an Associate Degree in Criminal Justice. Chief Campbell then attended Shippensburg University where he graduated with a Baccalaureate Degree in Criminal Justice and attended Fairleigh Dickinson University where he graduated with a Master's Degree in Administrative Science.
Chief Campbell is a member of the Cape May County Chiefs of Police Association, New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police, and the International Association of Chiefs of Police.
Chief Campbell resides in Egg Harbor Township with his wife Jill and son Brett.
The Ocean City Police Department was created in 1884 when the City of Ocean City was incorporated by an Act of the State Legislature. The City’s first Police Chief was Samuel B. 'Cappie' Scull.
In 1920, the Department experienced its first and only 'In the line of duty' death when Patrolman Harry Shore, a police motor officer, died in a motorcycle crash while responding to an emergency call.
As the Department expanded, it grew steadily to 35 officers in 1930 including a Police Chief, 2 Captains, 3 Lieutenants, 3 Sergeants, 6 Motor Patrolmen, and 20 Patrolmen.
Over the years, the Ocean City Police Department has maintained 3 separate prisons. The first was a stall in a tool house which was in operation until 1897.
The second was a lock-up named 'Naley'. It was named after the first prisoner to be held there, Charles Naley, and it contained two cells. The third is the present cell block which is currently located in police headquarters and has 10 male holding cells, 2 female holding cells, and 2 juvenile holding cells. The current facility houses over 500 prisoners per year.
Due to Ocean City’s unique demographic make-up, the Department maintains two distinctly different organizational charts. One for the off-season, and one for the busy summer season, which is commonly known as May, June, July, and August. Over the years, the City’s busy season has grown to include April in the Spring and September and October in the Fall.
Ocean City’s population is reported to range between a low of 15,000 full-time residents in the off season to a high of approximately 150,000 residents during the height of the summer season.
Due to this fluctuation in the population and calls for service, the Department employs approximately 60 Special Law Enforcement Officers to assist the full-time personnel during the summer season.
Over the past few years, Ocean City has also been developing what is now known as 'The Second Season'. This time period is often referred to as the 'Shoulder season', and encompasses the months of April, September, October, November, and December.
Through a highly successful marketing campaign, Ocean City has extended its 'Season' well into fall, and hundreds of thousands of visitors experience year-round shopping, a variety of restaurants, and family-friendly special events all the way until the annual First Night and First Day Celebrations on December 31st and January 1st of each year.
Today, the Ocean City Police Department consists of 68 full-time officers led by Chief William Campbell. Within the ranks there is 1 Deputy Chief, 3 Captains, 9 Lieutenants, 11 Sergeants, and 43 Patrolmen.
The Department is currently organized into three Divisions: the Patrol Operations Division, the Special Services Division, and the Professional Standards Division.
