A police officer left to be on 'Love Island USA'. Officials aren't happy

Pennsylvania city officials expressed disappointment in one of the newest "Love Island USA" Season 8 contestants after he reportedly ditched his job for the show.

Sean Reifel, 29, was one of the islanders selected for the starting cast of Peacock's popular dating reality series premiering on Tuesday, June 2. In Reifel's introduction package shared on social media, he revealed that his occupation is a police officer.

"I love my job. It's super cool. You feel like you made a difference," he said.

According to Pennsylvania news outlets WHTM and The Morning Call, Reifel was employed with the Police Department in Bethlehem, a city about six miles from Allentown. He joined last August, and his last day was on May 20.

Mayor J. Williams Reynolds and Bethlehem Police Chief Kott have since openly addressed his departure, citing department staffing concerns.

'We now have another vacancy in our department,' officials say

As The Morning Call reported, the department is dealing with the strain of 15 vacancies that take months to fill. Kott spoke about how the open positions could lead to officer overtime and burnout.

"I love Sean, he’s a good guy, he was a great officer, but I’m disappointed," Kott told the outlet. "Just because we work so incredibly hard to try to recruit the best people we can to be part of the Bethlehem Police Department."

Despite this, Kott noted that Reifel could reapply after his "Love Island USA" experience, according to the report. Mayor J. Williams Reynolds expressed similar sentiments as Kott in a recent interview with WHTM.

"Our police department spent a lot of time training and we paid thousands of taxpayer dollars to send him to the police academy," said Reynolds, who swore Reifel into the force.

"We are disappointed he left as we now have another vacancy in our department that is impossible to fill until next year," he added. "I never thought I’d see the day in America where reality show participation wins out over being a police officer."

When contacted by USA TODAY on Monday, June 1, the Bethlehem Police Department said in a statement that Reifel "had a bright future in law enforcement" and will be missed. The agency is currently accepting police officer applications, and the deadline is June 12.

USA TODAY also reached out to Reynolds' office for comment.

When does 'Love Island USA' Season 8 premiere?

Fans can catch Reifel and the other islanders on "Love Island USA" Season 8, which premieres on Tuesday, June 2, at 6 p.m. PT/9 p.m. ET on Peacock, with new episodes every day the first week.

Each week afterward, episodes drop Thursday through Tuesday.

This story has been updated to add new information.

Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at [email protected].