By a 5-2 vote, the Toms River Township Council approved a controversial ordinance that would cut two captains’ positions from the Toms River Police Department.

Toms River Mayor Dan Rodrick had promised to not fill two retiring captains’ positions and instead use the savings to fund eight EMTs to help boost ambulance response times in the township.

Opponents of the ordinance have held several rallies to voice their opposition and dozens of residents spoke out against the move during this afternoon’s hearings.

The Council had previously been scheduled to vote on the ordinance two weeks ago, but that meeting ended abruptly after a bizarre, anti-Semitic rant from a resident on the Zoom call.