From as early as the late 1600’s, protection for the rural inhabitants of Little Egg Harbor and its surrounding areas was dependent upon watchmen, constables and later the county sheriff and his deputies. In 1921 The New Jersey State Police were created, and assumed the primary law enforcement duties of the then rural township. This continued through the late 1960’s although, there are some records that indicate that Little Egg Harbor intermittently employed part-time special police officers. The Little Egg Harbor Police Department was officially created on December 17th, 1973. At first, the department did not have a permanent home, and relied on police cars donated from other larger neighboring agencies. At times the department was operating out of the home of Elkenny Pullen, the first Chief of Police, and later out of West Tuckerton Fire House on Route 9. In 1975, a new township building was built, and the Police Department moved into the basement “on a temporary basis” until a dedicated Police Department facility could be built. As the population of the area grew, so did the Police Department. In 2004, after 30 years in the basement of 7 Gifford Road, the Little Egg Harbor Police Department moved into one full wing of the new Administrative Justice Complex.