SEASIDE HEIGHTS, N.J. – One of New Jersey’s most unusual policing arrangements has come to an end after three neighboring municipalities agreed on a solution that local officials say will improve emergency response and make better use of taxpayer resources.
Beginning last week, the Berkeley Township portion of Pelican Island is now being patrolled by the Seaside Heights Police Department under a newly approved shared services agreement, ending decades of police coverage by officers who had to drive nearly 30 minutes from Berkeley Township headquarters to reach the small island community.
The change creates a far more logical public safety map on Pelican Island, a narrow residential island in Barnegat Bay that sits between Toms River, Seaside Heights and Seaside Park.
For years, Pelican Island was split not only by municipal boundaries but also by police jurisdictions. Toms River Police Department patrolled the Toms River side of the island, while Berkeley Township officers crossed the Mathis Bridge and Route 37 to patrol Berkeley’s portion despite Seaside Heights being just minutes away.
A unique jurisdictional puzzle
Pelican Island has long been one of Ocean County’s stranger municipal arrangements.
Although the island appears to function as a single waterfront neighborhood, it is divided between Toms River Township and Berkeley Township. The only practical access is from Route 37 via the Tunney and Mathis bridges, with Seaside Heights located immediately to the east.
Despite that geography, Berkeley Township remained responsible for policing its section of the island for decades.
The arrangement became even more unusual after South Seaside Park, another Berkeley Township neighborhood located on the barrier island, was annexed into Seaside Park earlier this year. Berkeley Township officers from South Seaside Park had previously patrolled both South Seaside Park and their portion of Pelican Island.
With South Seaside Park no longer part of Berkeley Township, officials began reevaluating whether continuing to patrol Pelican Island from Berkeley made operational sense.
Shared services agreement approved
According to Berkeley Township police, the new agreement officially took effect at 4 p.m. Wednesday.
“As of 4 p.m. Wednesday, the Berkeley Township section of Pelican Island is being patrolled by the Seaside Heights Police Department,” the department announced.
Officials described the move as a practical decision designed to improve service for residents.
“This decision has been made in the best interests of the community and both agencies to ensure proper and efficient police coverage and emergency response,” Berkeley Township Police said in a statement. “Our shared goal is to maintain the highest standard of public safety while utilizing resources in a responsible and effective manner.”
Berkeley Township approached Seaside Heights about assuming patrol responsibilities after South Seaside Park was no longer under municipal jurisdiction. The agreement was unanimously approved by the Seaside Heights Borough Council during its July 1 meeting.
Under the agreement, Berkeley Township will pay Seaside Heights $75,000 annually to provide police services for its portion of the island.
Toms River patrol area unchanged
The agreement affects only the Berkeley Township side of Pelican Island.
Toms River Police Department will continue providing law enforcement services within Toms River’s municipal boundary, which extends to the end of the Route 37 bridge before the Berkeley Township section begins.
That means the island will now be patrolled by two neighboring police departments with stations only minutes away instead of requiring Berkeley officers to travel across much of the township to reach the waterfront neighborhood.
Faster response expected
Although officials have not released response-time estimates, the change is expected to shorten travel distances for officers responding to emergencies on the Berkeley Township side of the island.
Seaside Heights police headquarters sits just across Barnegat Bay from Pelican Island, while Berkeley Township officers previously responded from headquarters located much farther inland.
The shorter travel distance also reduces the time Berkeley officers spend outside the township while answering calls on the island.
Residents should call Seaside Heights
Berkeley Township officials reminded residents living on their side of Pelican Island that they should now contact the Seaside Heights Police Department for non-emergency matters.
The Seaside Heights Police Department can be reached at 732-793-1800, while residents should continue dialing 911 during emergencies.
Shared services agreements have become increasingly common across New Jersey as municipalities look for ways to reduce costs while maintaining or improving public safety.
For Pelican Island, the agreement resolves one of Ocean County’s most unusual jurisdictional arrangements by assigning police responsibilities based more closely on geography than municipal boundaries.
For residents, it means officers responding to calls will now come from the neighboring borough just across the bridge rather than from a department located miles away—a change local officials believe will provide more efficient police coverage for the waterfront community.
