BETHLEHEM, Pa. — A former Bethlehem Police officer is caught up in drama on TV and at home after the town’s mayor complained he had wasted resources by leaving the force to join the reality show “Love Island USA,” FOX 8 reported.
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Sean Reifel, 29, was recently announced as a cast member of the dating show, which places single individuals together in an island villa and requires them to form couples in order to stay on the show. A $100,000 prize awaits the show’s winner(s).
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In the first episode of season 8, Reifel spoke about his work on the force, telling viewers that working as an officer makes “you feel like you made a difference.”He was sent home during episode 5, becoming the first “islander” to get dumped in season 8.
Reifel was sworn into the Bethlehem Police Department in August 2025. He resigned from the department in May to appear on the show, Bethlehem Police Chief Michelle Kott told The Morning Call.
“I love Sean, he’s a good guy, he was a great officer, but I’m disappointed,” Kott told 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.”
Reifel’s departure also drew ire from Bethlehem’s mayor.
“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 …” Mayor J. William Reynolds told FOX 8. “I never thought I’d see the day in America where reality show participation wins out over being a police officer.”
The officer’s resignation raises a question for law enforcement agencies: Should officers who leave soon after being hired have to reimburse departments for taxpayer-funded training?
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