{"id":2442289,"date":"2026-06-02T22:02:07","date_gmt":"2026-06-02T22:02:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2442289"},"modified":"2026-06-02T22:02:07","modified_gmt":"2026-06-02T22:02:07","slug":"pennsylvania-mayor-blasts-love-island-contestant-for-abandoning-his-cop-job-for-show-we-are-disappointed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/pennsylvania-mayor-blasts-love-island-contestant-for-abandoning-his-cop-job-for-show-we-are-disappointed\/","title":{"rendered":"Pennsylvania mayor blasts \u201cLove Island\u201d contestant for abandoning his cop job for show: &#8216;We are disappointed&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div data-article-body=\"true\">\n<h3 class=\"mb-4 text-lg font-bold\">Key Points<\/h3>\n<ul class=\"mb-4\">\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<div class=\"\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Bethlehem Mayor J. William Reynolds is calling out former police officer Sean Reifel for leaving the police force to appear on <em>Love Island USA<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<div class=\"\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cOur police department spent a lot of time training and we paid thousands of taxpayer dollars to send him to the police academy,&#8221; the mayor said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<div class=\"\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><em>Love Island USA<\/em> season 8 premieres June 2 at 9 p.m. ET\/PT on Peacock.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">One of <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/love-island\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:Love Island USA;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Love Island USA&quot;}\" class=\"link \"><em>Love Island USA<\/em><\/a>&#8216;s newest contestants is already causing drama.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Among the 12 season 8 contestants joining the reality show is Sean Reifel, who revealed in <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=MhSHEcDsKyc\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:his intro video;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;his intro video&quot;}\" class=\"link \">his intro video<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cOur 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,\u201d Reynolds said, per <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.abc27.com\/pennsylvania\/pennsylvania-mayor-rails-against-cop-he-says-left-for-love-island-usa\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:local ABC station WHTM;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;local ABC station WHTM&quot;}\" class=\"link \">local ABC station WHTM<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cI never thought I\u2019d see the day in America where reality show participation wins out over being a police officer,&#8221; the mayor added.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-0 size-full\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-3 right-3 rounded-full bg-primary p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-primary\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" class=\"flex-none size-4 -scale-x-100 text-primary lg:size-6 [&amp;_path]:fill-current\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M3.1 3.1V11h1.8V6.314l5.392 5.393 1.415-1.414L6.313 4.9H11V3.1zm17.8 17.8V13h-1.8v4.686l-5.393-5.393-1.415 1.414 5.393 5.393H13v1.8z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal dialogue\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed bottom-0 left-0 right-0 top-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-primary hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p><i>Sean Reifel on &#8216;Love Island USA&#8217;<br \/>Credit: Ben Symons\/PEACOCK<\/i><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Bethlehem Police Chief Michelle Kott also reacted to the casting announcement, noting her disappointment. &#8220;I love Sean, he\u2019s a good guy, he was a great officer, but I\u2019m disappointed,\u201d she said, per <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mcall.com\/2026\/05\/30\/bethlehem-police-officer-sean-reifel-love-island-usa-mayor-disappointed\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:The Morning Call;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;The Morning Call&quot;}\" class=\"link \">The Morning Call<\/a>. \u201cJust because we work so incredibly hard to try to recruit the best people we can to be part of the Bethlehem Police Department.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Kott also spoke about how police departments throughout the country are &#8220;struggling to fill vacancies,&#8221; noting that the city doesn&#8217;t approve of their officers doing secondary work due to concerns of burnout and overtime.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cAt this time, I don\u2019t think there\u2019d be a department that would be willing to allow someone to leave for &#8216;x&#8217; amount of weeks to go on a television show when everyone\u2019s hurting right now and overtime is being utilized to fill those gaps. Officers are getting burnt out. It\u2019s just a bad look to me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Mayor Reynolds also told The Morning Call that &#8220;people can do what they want, but from our mission as far as the city of Bethlehem is, it\u2019s to have a police department that is fully staffed and we take that responsibility very seriously.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Reifel was <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/BethlehemPolice\/posts\/pfbid0E6TZVhSMJFRg6cgBzP2te59nciYmsnQjrM1fbd5xsERNi7fz6UPmT672j3MKv1XJl?rdid=w7KDiKFDSGbFUYHH#\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:sworn in to the police force in August 2025;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;sworn in to the police force in August 2025&quot;}\" class=\"link \">sworn in to the police force in August 2025<\/a>, with the police department wishing him &#8220;success as he embarks on this journey of service to our community.&#8221; WHTM reported that Reifel was no longer employed with the police department as of May.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><em>Entertainment Weekly <\/em>reached out to reps for <em>Love Island USA <\/em>who declined to comment.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"Sean Reifel on 'Love Island USA'Credit: Ben Symons\/PEACOCK\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"413\" height=\"480\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/0mZygiuwSKz3z1w9aPNxWg--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTcwNTtoPTgxOTtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/entertainment_weekly_785\/215a4c27c1370d359503fdd6b2e8339b\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p><i>Sean Reifel on &#8216;Love Island USA&#8217;<br \/>Credit: Ben Symons\/PEACOCK<\/i><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">In Reifel&#8217;s introduction video for <em>Love Island USA<\/em>, wearing green swim trunks and a matching button-down shirt, he tells audiences, &#8220;I&#8217;m not a model, not an actor. I\u2019m a police officer actually.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><strong><em>Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our\u00a0EW Dispatch newsletter.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">He adds, &#8220;You could be having the worst day of your life and I\u2019d just help you sift through that. The more thoughtful you are, I think that s&#8212; is so pretty, I love it.&#8221; The winner of <em>Love Island USA <\/em>walks away with a cool $100,000.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><em>Love Island USA <\/em>season 8 premieres June 2 at 9 p.m. ET\/PT on Peacock.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Read the original article on <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/pennsylvania-mayor-blasts-love-island-contestant-for-abandoning-his-cop-job-for-show-11989385\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:Entertainment Weekly;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Entertainment Weekly&quot;}\" class=\"link \">Entertainment Weekly<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source nz.news.yahoo.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>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. \u201cOur police department spent a lot of time training and we paid thousands of taxpayer dollars to send him to the police academy,&#8221; the mayor said. Love Island USA [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2442290,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25172],"tags":[479474,479472,350456,368352,479477,468068,479475,479476,479473],"class_list":["post-2442289","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment","tag-bethlehem-police","tag-bethlehem-police-department","tag-love-island-usa","tag-police-department","tag-police-departments","tag-police-officer","tag-sean-reifel","tag-the-police-academy","tag-william-reynolds"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Pennsylvania-mayor-blasts-Love-Island-contestant-for-abandoning-his-cop.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2442289","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2442289"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2442289\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2442291,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2442289\/revisions\/2442291"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2442290"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2442289"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2442289"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2442289"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}