Atlantic County executive says his criticism is not personal, praises the city's police department and argues that New Jersey's continued oversight of Atlantic City makes the state responsible for addressing public safety concerns.
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson is doubling down on his call for more police officers in Atlantic City, but he insists his criticism is not directed at Mayor Marty Small or the city's police department.
Instead, Levinson says the responsibility rests with the State of New Jersey, which continues to exercise extensive oversight of Atlantic City's finances and municipal operations.
Speaking Monday morning, October 26, on The Don Williams Show on News Talk 1400 & 92.3 WOND, Levinson addressed a recent public disagreement with Small over police staffing and who should pay for additional officers.
"I have great respect and admiration for Marty and it was not a shot across Marty's bow, the fact that I said that Atlantic City needs more police officers," Levinson said.
"I think that it's self-explanatory and I guess if you ask the chief of police, he may agree also."
Levinson said he recently spoke with an Atlantic City police officer who agreed that the department could use additional personnel.
"Do you think Atlantic City needs more cops? He says, they sure do," Levinson recalled.
But the county executive emphasized that his concerns are not an accusation that Atlantic City's police officers are failing to do their jobs.
"I'm not blaming the cops at all," Levinson said. "In fact, I think Jimmy Sarkis is a terrific guy, an all cop, not blaming them. I am blaming the person in control."
"And the person in control or the people are the state of New Jersey and the DCA."
Levinson: Police Visibility Matters Even as Crime Declines
Levinson acknowledged that crime in Atlantic City has declined, but argued that statistics alone do not determine whether residents and visitors feel safe.
"Is Atlantic City unsafe? The crime rate has gone down and it's gone down considerably, but that's all over the country," Levinson said.
He believes a more visible police presence would improve public confidence and encourage visitors to explore areas beyond the casino properties.
"They have to become visible for you to feel secure," Levinson said.
"And perception is reality."
Levinson noted that Atlantic City's year-round population is relatively small compared with the millions of visitors who travel to the resort each year.
He said that tourism creates additional public safety demands that cannot be measured solely by the city's permanent population.
"You have millions of people that come into that town," Levinson said.
"And as far as public safety is concerned, I want people to come to Atlantic City and have a full experience."
Levinson expressed concern that some casino visitors arrive, remain inside their resorts and leave without exploring the rest of the city.
He believes a stronger police presence could help change that behavior.
"But it's a question of not feeling safe," Levinson said. "And if it is safe, wonderful. Let's see police."
"Let's make them visible. And I don't believe that's an outrageous comment."
His remarks focused primarily on perceptions of safety and the visibility of officers, rather than specific recent crime incidents.
Although Levinson referenced internet rankings that portray Atlantic City as dangerous, those rankings were not independently verified during the interview. Such comparisons can also be affected by differences in population, tourism and reporting methods.
County Executive Says His Own Employees Need Security Escorts
Levinson offered an example from Atlantic County's own government operations to illustrate his concerns.
"My employees, same thing. We have to have escorts to their cars at night," Levinson said.
"I have armed guards in our county office building because of response time from the police."
He did not identify specific incidents that prompted those security arrangements or provide response-time statistics during the interview.
Nevertheless, Levinson said the situation reinforces his belief that Atlantic City needs additional officers.
"It's a terrific police force," he said. "I'm not questioning that. I am questioning the amount of personnel."
He also said he does not believe visitors would be discouraged by seeing more police officers on the streets.
"I guarantee that people will not mind if they're walking along the streets of Atlantic City and see more of a police presence," Levinson said.
Disagreement With Mayor Small Over Who Should Pay
The interview followed a public exchange in which Levinson called for more Atlantic City police officers and Small suggested that Atlantic County could help pay for them.
Levinson rejected that idea Monday.
"Is the Atlantic County going to pay for it? No, the Atlantic County is not going to pay for it," he said.
"Let me make something very, very clear. It's not a shot at Marty."
Levinson repeatedly emphasized that he maintains a positive relationship with the mayor.
"Our relationship is the same," he told Williams.
He also defended Small's overall performance as mayor.
"Of course, I like Marty and I like him on a personal basis," Levinson said. "And I think he's done a decent job."
The county executive said public officials should be able to disagree about staffing and government spending without turning those disagreements into personal disputes.
"It's just my opinion," Levinson said. "And I mean, he could come out tomorrow and say, we need more sheriff's officers."
"He could say a whole lot of things, Don. And I wouldn't take offense. I would make it a debatable situation."
Levinson Points to State Control of Atlantic City
The central argument of Levinson's interview was that New Jersey's continued oversight of Atlantic City makes state officials responsible for addressing the city's police staffing needs.
The state assumed extensive oversight authority over Atlantic City's municipal government during former Gov. Chris Christie's administration in 2016.
That oversight has included authority affecting municipal finances, contracts and other major government decisions.
Levinson argued that those powers limit the city's ability to independently address its problems.
"When New Jersey took over the city of Atlantic City during Chris Christie's term, they made it clear that any ordinance that Atlantic City passes, they can veto," Levinson said.
"The state, the DCA, any budget line that Atlantic City has, can be vetoed and will be vetoed by the state of New Jersey."
He continued by listing additional areas in which he believes the state exercises authority.
"They have veto power over zoning. They have veto power over union contracts," Levinson said.
"Any major development plan, this state can veto."
"So, you tell me what's left."
Levinson said he believes the state's extensive involvement should come with greater responsibility for Atlantic City's public safety needs.
"When you have that total and complete control over a city," he said, local officials cannot be expected to resolve every problem without state cooperation.
He also criticized the extension of state oversight, saying it has continued far longer than originally anticipated.
The precise scope of the state's current authority over police hiring, as well as whether additional officers have been requested or rejected, was not established during the interview.
Those questions are important in determining whether staffing levels are primarily the result of state decisions, municipal budget priorities, recruitment challenges or other factors.
'Nothing Personal Against Marty'
Throughout the conversation, Levinson returned to his central point: Atlantic City needs more visible police officers, and the state should help make that happen.
"It's got, as I said, it has nothing to do with Marty Small or city council," Levinson said.
"It has to do with the state of New Jersey that runs Atlantic City."
Levinson also said he remains a strong supporter of the resort and wants it to succeed economically.
"I am an advocate of Atlantic City," he said. "I know what's happening in Atlantic City and I have trepidations of the future."
He argued that improving public confidence in safety is essential to encouraging visitors to experience the entire city, rather than limiting their trips to casino properties.
The county executive did not specify how many additional officers he believes Atlantic City needs, what the cost would be or how the state should fund them.
The interview also did not establish the department's current number of sworn officers or whether city officials have requested authorization to expand staffing.
Those details will be important as the debate continues.
For now, Levinson says his position is straightforward.
"Nothing personal against Marty," he said.
"It's just my opinion."
And despite acknowledging that crime has declined, he remains convinced that Atlantic City would benefit from a stronger police presence.
"If it is safe, wonderful," Levinson said. "Let's see police."
About the Author
Scott Stephens
Scott has been an on-air personality, producer and newscaster for 30+ years. He has been a mainstay in the South Jersey Community and on the air across many different area stations. Scott can currently be heard on Kool 98.3 and News Talk 1400 & 92.3 WOND.
