Public comment at the Toms River council meeting focused heavily on public safety, with residents and civic leaders urging stronger responses to homelessness, faster EMS service and higher police staffing.

Phil Brilliant, a longtime local activist, cited police and EMS staffing trends and criticized the administration's handling of downtown encampments and temporary housing. "In 2024, we started the year with 163 police officers. But by May first of 2025, the number has dropped to 153 ... and we'll be down to just a 140 officers by the end of this year," Brilliant said, arguing the drop in officers and postponed academy classes have weakened response capacity. He also said a $250,000 allocation for temporary housing had not been fully spent, and that many people placed in hotels had been returned to the streets when stays expired.

Several speakers urged the council to reinstate Silverton EMS for 9‑1‑1 response, saying the local volunteer ambulance service lost dispatch privileges following allegations and administrative actions. "Silverton EMS was accused of something and lost their 9‑1‑1 dispatching rights in this town," said Jim Prentice. Council members Sikosi, Nieveson and others called for immediate reinstatement and for the prosecutor's office and police to conclude any inquiries promptly.

Mayor Roderick defended parts of the administration's approach to the encampment response and noted state and nonprofit partners handled much of the relocation and housing placement. "Every single person in that camp was given six months of housing. As soon as we passed our resolution for the 250,000, all of a sudden the state came in with the nonprofit and picked up all those people and placed all of those people," he said, adding some placements were paid for by state programs and nonprofits. The mayor also offered seasonal part‑time township jobs at $20 per hour and urged residents experiencing homelessness to contact Health and Senior Services for assistance.

Council members and commenters urged better coordination with county agencies and nonprofits and demanded clearer reporting on how temporary housing funds were used. No formal policy change or reinstatement of EMS services was adopted at the meeting; councilmembers asked administration staff to provide additional information and for county partners to engage on longer‑term solutions.