Police officer turned Love Island US contestant faces hometown backlash

For one Love Island USA contestant, the drama started before even entering the villa.

The decision by a police officer in the US state of Pennsylvania to leave the force and chase love on one of the country's most popular reality TV shows has ignited tempers and become the talk of the town in his home of Bethlehem.

After Sean Reifel was announced as a cast member of the dating show last week, the mayor of the city of 75,000 residents expressed frustration over his departure - less than a year after he'd joined the department.

"I never thought I'd see the day in America where reality show participation wins out over being a police officer," Mayor J. William Reynolds said.

"Our police department spent a lot of time training and we paid thousands of taxpayer dollars to send him to the police academy," the mayor said, according to Fox8 .

The vacant position cannot be filled until next year, he added.

Reifel's former boss, Police Chief Michelle Kott, told the BBC that while the department respects his decision, "I would be less than candid if I didn't acknowledge my disappointment in losing another police officer".

Kott said that with Reifel's resignation, the department now has 16 officer vacancies. He has noted Reifel's decision was not a good look.