Key Points
Bethlehem Mayor J. William Reynolds is calling out former police officer Sean Reifel for leaving the police force to appear on Love Island USA.
“Our police department spent a lot of time training and we paid thousands of taxpayer dollars to send him to the police academy,” the mayor said.
Love Island USA season 8 premieres June 2 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Peacock.
One of Love Island USA‘s newest contestants is already causing drama.
Among the 12 season 8 contestants joining the reality show is Sean Reifel, who revealed in his intro video that he used to be a police officer. Bethlehem Mayor J. William Reynolds revealed that Reifel resigned from the Bethlehem Police Department to appear on the dating show.
“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, per local ABC station WHTM.
“I never thought I’d see the day in America where reality show participation wins out over being a police officer,” the mayor added.
Sean Reifel on ‘Love Island USA’
Credit: Ben Symons/PEACOCK
Bethlehem Police Chief Michelle Kott also reacted to the casting announcement, noting her disappointment. “I love Sean, he’s a good guy, he was a great officer, but I’m disappointed,” she said, per The Morning Call. “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 also spoke about how police departments throughout the country are “struggling to fill vacancies,” noting that the city doesn’t approve of their officers doing secondary work due to concerns of burnout and overtime.
“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. It’s just a bad look to me.”
Mayor Reynolds also told The Morning Call that “people can do what they want, but from our mission as far as the city of Bethlehem is, it’s to have a police department that is fully staffed and we take that responsibility very seriously.”
Reifel was sworn in to the police force in August 2025, with the police department wishing him “success as he embarks on this journey of service to our community.” WHTM reported that Reifel was no longer employed with the police department as of May.
Entertainment Weekly reached out to reps for Love Island USA who declined to comment.
Sean Reifel on ‘Love Island USA’
Credit: Ben Symons/PEACOCK
In Reifel’s introduction video for Love Island USA, wearing green swim trunks and a matching button-down shirt, he tells audiences, “I’m not a model, not an actor. I’m a police officer actually.”
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He adds, “You could be having the worst day of your life and I’d just help you sift through that. The more thoughtful you are, I think that s— is so pretty, I love it.” The winner of Love Island USA walks away with a cool $100,000.
Love Island USA season 8 premieres June 2 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Peacock.
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