OCEAN CITY – Officials say they continue to seek applicants for seasonal positions within the Ocean City Police Department.15
On Monday, Ocean City Police Department Chief Ross Buzzuro presented members of the Ocean City Police Commission with an update on seasonal recruitment.
For decades, the Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) has enhanced its workforce with seasonal officers and public safety aides (PSA) during the summer months. And while interest in the seasonal program gained some momentum two years ago, Buzzuro told commission members this week recruitment, particularly for PSAs, continues to lag.
“This year we have 17 return public safety aides interested in coming back with seven confirmed,” he explained. “Last year we had 40 interested and 19 confirmed. That’s glaring in terms of where we are heading in 2023.”
Through the end of January, the department reported having 61 seasonal officer applicants, with 19 failures, six conditional hires and 24 candidates remaining in the process. At the same time last year, the department reported having 75 applicants.
“We’re down 14 from last year,” he said. “We did have a [testing date] cancellation last year in January and the numbers are still somewhat lower this year.”
Buzzuro noted, however, that the police department will hold two more testing dates. He added that 19 return seasonal officers had expressed an interest in coming back, with five confirmed.
“As far as return seasonal officers, we’re pretty much consistent from last year,” he said.
Councilman Peter Buas, commission member, questioned low attendance numbers during the November testing date.
He pointed out the number of applicants had dropped from 22 to six.
“Was there something on that weekend?” he asked.
While he acknowledged the Thanksgiving holiday and bad weather as potential causes, Capt. Mike Colbert said the department liked to hold testing dates during that time.
“We try to do it close to the holidays because people from college are off and they travel,” he explained. “So it’s easier for them to not have classes and come down here to test.”
Under PSA recruitment, the department reported having 28 applicants, with three failures, eight conditional hires and 19 still in the process.
At the same time last year, the department reported having 35 applicants.
“We do have three more testing dates,” Buzzuro said. “Be we are about 25% off.”
