Brigantine Police Department
Chief Richard Casamento
Brigantine Police Department
1417 W. Brigantine Avenue
Brigantine, NJ 08203
Phone: (609) 266-7414
Emergencies: Dial 9-1-1
Mission Statement
The Brigantine Police Department, along with the men and women who fill its ranks, is committed to “Protect and Serve” every citizen, visitor, and business owner of our community with the most efficient and reliable professionalism expected of a law enforcement agency. We are dedicated to preserving the constitutional rights of every individual, all the while respecting their dignity and humanity, regardless of race, religion, creed or gender.
Members of the department shall always display the department values of Integrity ~ Honor ~ and Protection.
Information about Body Worn Cameras (BWC)
The men and women of the Brigantine Police Department would like to inform the public that we are now wearing body worn cameras (BWC) in accordance with the New Jersey Attorney General Guidelines.
The implementation and use of BWCs has the goal of improving both transparency and police-community relations, increasing the trust between our agency and the residents, visitors, and business owners of Brigantine.
The documentation of police actions and encounters will enhance police investigative abilities while also allowing us to better inform the public of events that occurred and why police took the actions they did. This will also allow the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office to better prepare for prosecutions of criminal offenders encountered by our officers.
We have deployed a number of Motorola Watchguard V300 body cameras pictured below. The cameras will record events from the officer’s point of view and persons who interact with police officers will be recorded on our body cameras. If you have any questions regarding our new technology, please contact the Brigantine Police Department at (609) 266-7414.
How do I Report a Street or Area Light Outage?
For Atlantic City Electric lights, click here to report the outage online or call (800) 642-3780.
Where can I find the City of Brigantine Local Ordinances
Click here to see the Local Ordinance / City Code.
Firearms Permits
ATTENTION FIREARM APPLICANTS
The NJ State Police is announcing the statewide activation of the Firearms Application and Registration System (FARS). Our Police Department will be implementing the on-line program on May 1, 2019. All necessary information needed to apply is listed below.
- You will be receiving automated email updates throughout this new process.
- Once the application is complete, you will be notified
- Please advise your references that the FARS system will email them the reference questions to be answered. Your references can complete the questions using a smartphone, mobile device, laptop or desktop computer. Advise them to complete the questionnaire as quickly as possible in order to not delay the progress of your application.
- The on-line application is APPLICANT DRIVEN. Please ensure that you have entered the correct phone number and email for yourself and your references.
- In the first section of the online application, you will be required to enter the ORI number for the Brigantine Police Department, which is NJ0010300. You must enter this number correctly or your application will not be processed.
- The cost of an initial Firearms Identification Card (FID) is $50.00. Pistol Purchase Permits are $25.00 each. Concealed Carry Permits are $150. There is no fee for lost, stolen, or duplicate cards. You may pay by CHECK or MONEY ORDER ONLY made payable to “City of Brigantine.” No other forms of payment will be accepted. The non-refundable payment must be made prior to the completion of the background as per NJAC 13:54-1.4.
- DO NOT COME TO THE BRIGANTINE POLICE DEPARTMENT UNTIL YOU ARE NOTIFIED TO DO SO.
- Once you submit your FARS application, YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO MAKE ANY CHANGES!
For General Firearms Information
https://www.nj.gov/njsp/firearms/index.shtml
To apply for a Firearms Identification Card or a Handgun Purchase Permit
https://www.njportal.com/NJSP/FARS
To apply for a Concealed Carry Permit
https://www.njportal.com/NJSP/ConcealedCarry/
If you are retired law enforcement officer and have questions about the RPO
https://www.nj.gov/njsp/firearms/rpo.shtml
Certain Temporary Exemptions to CCARE Requirements
Civilian Carry Assessment and Range Evaluation
Permit to Carry CCARE Protocol – 9-15-2023
Civilian Carry Assessment and Range Evaluation (CCARE) Protocol
Permit to Carry Memo to LE – 9-15-2023
If you reside in Brigantine and have any questions about completing the above, please email:
Handicapped Parking Permits
Temporary Handicapped Permits are available from Brigantine Police Department. Application forms are available Monday to Friday 8:30 am to 4:30 pm (excluding holidays) at the Police Records Department. The person’s medical doctor must complete a portion of the application. Permits are valid for 6 months and may be renewed for one additional 6 month period. There is a fee of $4.00, payable by check made out to “N.J. Motor Vehicle Commission.”
Permanent Handicapped Parking placards and plates are issued by the N.J. Motor Vehicle Commission, and those applications are available at any DMV office or online at NJ MVC.
Emergency Alerts
Submit a Tip
Anonymous tips including information about crimes that have been committed, crimes that are ongoing, or the whereabouts of persons wanted for crimes can be submitted directly to the Brigantine Police Department at BRIGANTINE POLICE TIPS.
You can also call the Brigantine Police at 609-266-7414 or contact the ATLANTIC COUNTY CRIME STOPPERS at 652-1234 or 1-800-658-8477 or by visiting their website.
Surveillance Camera Registry
To better engage the members of our community in our efforts to keep Brigantine safe, the Brigantine Police Department is asking residents and businesses to consider registering their surveillance cameras with our department. Video surveillance isn’t saved forever, and should a crime or incident occur in your neighborhood, this will allow us to quickly contact you and request your assistance. This program is completely free and completely voluntary.
To register your cameras, follow the link below. Create a login at City Protect and follow the instructions on the page. It’s important to note that registering with City Protect will NOT give us access to view your cameras. This will simply let us know where video surveillance cameras are located throughout the Island of Brigantine.
We truly appreciate you considering furthering our partnership between the Brigantine Police Department and the Brigantine Community through your participation in this surveillance camera registry.
Follow us on the Brigantine Police Department Facebook for up to date information and news!
DIVISIONS
Administration
Police Administration is comprised of Chief Casamento, two captains, and one sergeant.
Captain Thomas Wodazak is the Detective Bureau commander and also oversees the Office of Professional Standards and Internal Affairs.
Captain Steve Ward is the Patrol Division commander and oversees all day to day operations of our uniformed patrol officers.
Sergeant Richard DeLeon is the Administrative Officer who oversees the Special Police Officers, Public Safety Telecommunicators along with the hiring processes and academy resources.
Patrol
Patrol Division officers are those who you see in the Brigantine community on the most frequent basis, as they are the men and women in uniform who patrol the City of Brigantine 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. The primary function of the Patrol Division is to respond to calls for service and emergencies as well as conducting preliminary investigations of crimes and offenses that occur within the City of Brigantine. All of our officers are trained in basic life support functions to include CPR and first aid, and a group of our officers are trained and certified Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT). Officers carry life saving equipment with them each shift, including automated external defibrillators (AED) and remain ready to respond to medical emergencies along with the Brigantine Fire Department. Our officers also participate in active shooter and critical incident response training in order to ensure our operational readiness.
Detective Bureau
The Detective Bureau is responsible for conducting criminal investigations that occur within the City of Brigantine as well as criminal investigations that have a nexus to our city and community. Our detectives diligently pursue all investigative leads and information gathered as well as collect, process, and analyze evidence. They are trained in specialized areas of criminal investigation that enable our department to respond to a diverse range of crime scenes and volatile incidents.
Brigantine Police Department detectives maintain partnerships with other municipal law enforcement officers as well as our law enforcement partners at the county, state, and federal levels of government. These relationships allow us to share critical information and resources to achieve the common goal of maintaining safe communities in our area.
Communications
The Communications Division is comprised of eight full-time dispatchers as well as part-time dispatch staff who work 24/7 to field incoming phone calls as well as 9-1-1- calls. Emergency Dispatchers are trained in coordinating appropriate police, fire, and EMS response and are also trained to provide instructions to callers to begin life-saving measures in the event of a medical emergency.
Office of Professional Standards (Internal Affairs)
Reports or complaints of officer misconduct can be submitted in person or anonymously. Completed Internal Affairs Reporting forms can either be dropped off at the police department or mailed to:
Brigantine Police Department
Attn: Office of Professional Standards
1417 W. Brigantine Avenue
Brigantine, NJ 08203
Phone: 609-266-7414
Fax: 609-266-1066
Complaint Information Forms (Choose Language)
- Appendix_A-Complaint-Information-Sheet-Arabic
- Appendix_A-Complaint-Information-Sheet-Chinese
- Appendix_A-Complaint-Information-Sheet-English
- Appendix_A-Complaint-Information-Sheet-Haitian
- Appendix_A-Complaint-Information-Sheet-Hindi
- Appendix_A-Complaint-Information-Sheet-Korean
- Appendix_A-Complaint-Information-Sheet-Polish
- Appendix_A-Complaint-Information-Sheet-Portuguese
- Appendix_A-Complaint-Information-Sheet-Spanish
- Appendix_A-Complaint-Information-Sheet-Tagalog
- Appendix_A-Complaint-Information-Sheet-Vietnamese
Internal Affairs Report Forms (Choose Language)
- Appendix_B-IA-Report-Form-Arabic
- Appendix_B-IA-Report-Form-Chinese
- Appendix_B-IA-Report-Form-English
- Appendix_B-IA-Report-Form-Haitian
- Appendix_B-IA-Report-Form-Hindi
- Appendix_B-IA-Report-Form-Korean
- Appendix_B-IA-Report-Form-Polish
- Appendix_B-IA-Report-Form-Portuguese
- Appendix_B-IA-Report-Form-Spanish
- Appendix_B-IA-Report-Form-Tagalog
- Appendix_B-IA-Report-Form-Vietnamese
Annual Major Discipline Reporting
Brigantine Police Department Recruitment Plan
BRIGANTINE POLICE DEPARTMENT RECRUITMENT PLAN
Goal:
The goal of the Brigantine Police Department Recruitment Plan is to attract qualified individuals to pursue a career with the Brigantine Police Department, with a special emphasis on recruiting underrepresented minorities, other races, and women. The Chief of Police is responsible for the recruitment plan.
Demographics of the City of Brigantine:
According to the official recording of the 2020 United States Census Bureau, the City of Brigantine has a total population of 7,890 residents. The population increases in the summer, with around 30,000 people visiting during that time. The city’s residents are represented as follows:
- Caucasian: 8,253 or 87.33% of the city’s population
- Black or African American: 275 or 2.91% of the city’s population
- Asian: 446 or 4.72% of the city’s population
- Native American: 16 or 0.17% of the city’s population
- Hispanic or Latino: 650 or 6.88% of the city’s population
- Pacific Islander: 237 or 2.51% of the city’s population
- Other Race: 220 or 2.33% of the city’s population
Demographics of the Brigantine Police Department:
The Brigantine Police Department is comprised of 38 paid officers and is represented as follows:
- Caucasian: 34 or 89% of the workforce
- Black or African American: 1 or 3% of the workforce
- Hispanic or Latino: 2 or 5% of the workforce
- Other Race: 0 or 0% of the workforce
- Male: 34 or 89% of the workforce
- Female: 3 or 8% of the workforce
- X-gender non-binary: 0 or 0% of the workforce
This data was generated from the 2023 Annual Report of Diversity in Law Enforcement Recruitment and Training submitted to the Attorney General’s office.
General:
The Brigantine Police Department is supervised by the Chief of Police, which office and Department shall be organized and operated pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:14-118 and all other laws relative to the operation of law enforcement activities. Brigantine does not have a residency preference in all hiring matters. Qualified candidates from Atlantic County and/or the State of New Jersey will be considered. Residents of Brigantine and/or Atlantic County with no law enforcement experience are encouraged to submit their resumes. Based on the demographics of our police department, Hispanic or Latinos, Asians, Native Americans, and women are underrepresented.
This department seeks applicants through the following methods:
- Entry-level testing procedure
- Non-law enforcement candidates with no prior law enforcement experience
- Lateral intergovernmental transfers
The City of Brigantine is an equal opportunity employer in all facets of the personnel selection process.
Annual Review:
The Chief of Police or their designee shall conduct an annual review of the agency’s recruitment plan. The following data shall be minimally reviewed:
- Number of applicants vs. the number of targeted applicants
- Number of applicants hired vs. the number of targeted applicants hired
- Number of career days attended by the agency
- Review of social media
- Objectives met
The agency’s recruitment plan is subject to revision as needed.
Objectives:
- To recruit underrepresented qualified residents in minority, ethnic, and gender categories (LGBTQ+) within the city of Brigantine without prior law enforcement experience.
Activities include but are not limited to:
- Attending career fairs at district and out-of-district schools to inform students about career opportunities with the agency
- Hosting career fairs for city residents
- Drafting, printing, and distributing informational brochures at community events
- Posting recruitment information brochures in the department lobby
- Making maximum use of the Brigantine Police Department website and social media
- To recruit residents and non-residents from underrepresented minority, ethnic, and gender categories (LGBTQ+).
Activities include but are not limited to:
- Seeking and accepting opportunities to attend local career fairs at schools, community colleges, and universities
- Seeking and accepting opportunities to attend local community events to represent the Brigantine Police Department
- Maintaining contact with the Atlantic County Police Training Center
- Drafting, printing, and distributing informational brochures
- Posting recruitment/informational brochures in the department lobby
- Making maximum use of the Brigantine Police Department website and social media
Activities include but are not limited to:
- Posting exam announcements, testing information, test dates, and eligibility requirements on the Brigantine Police website, social media, websites such as Police App
- Drafting, printing, and distributing informational brochures
Summary:
The Brigantine Police Department has developed a proactive approach in recruitment to attract the underrepresented groups identified in the report. Our department has partnered with middle and high schools for annual career fairs and programs that present opportunities to students and maintain relationships. This department continually seeks opportunities with local community colleges and universities, collaborates with community organizations, and hosts city-initiated career fairs to address the hiring of underrepresented groups.
This is an ongoing process that requires sustained commitment from our agency and the community in which we serve. We are dedicated to our efforts, as we remain transparent and trustworthy in creating a police department that represents our demographic. We will continue to be proactive, forward-thinking, and open in our recruiting endeavors to attract the underrepresented into a law enforcement career in the Brigantine Police Department.
