Wildwood Arrests 101 For Underage Possession

WILDWOOD – The Wildwood Police Department’s arrest report from June 12-18 states there were 1,332 calls for service, an average of 190 calls per day, according to Chief Robert Regalbuto.
He stated that in addition to adults included in the report there were 18 juveniles arrested.
Noteworthy is that 101 underage persons were arrested for possession and consumption of alcohol, some on private property.
Of those, 73 were Pennsylvania residents, 18 were from various places in New Jersey, five from Wildwood, four from New York, and one from Delaware.
Earlier this month, Cape May County officials conducted the “We Check for 21” program and marked its 25th anniversary this year. The program aims to stop underage persons from purchasing alcoholic beverages either in package good stores or in taverns.
According to a county release, “For the 15th straight year, during Memorial Day weekend, a Card & Count Turn Away initiative was conducted. Nineteen liquor store licensees documented and reported the total number of underage persons who were refused the purchase of alcohol.
“The data indicated that 190 individuals were refused the sale of alcoholic beverages based on their failure to prove that they were at least 21. From 2002 through 2017, a total of 5,444 youth were refused a sale.”
The Law
NJSA 2C:33-15 Possession, consumption of alcoholic beverages by persons under legal age; penalty.
1. a. Any person under the legal age to purchase alcoholic beverages who knowingly possesses without legal authority or who knowingly consumes any alcoholic beverage in any school, public conveyance, public place, or place of public assembly, or motor vehicle, is guilty of a disorderly persons offense, and shall be fined not less than $500.00.
b. Whenever this offense is committed in a motor vehicle, the court shall, in addition to the sentence authorized for the offense, suspend or postpone for six months the driving privilege of the defendant. Upon the conviction of any person under this section, the court shall forward a report to the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission stating the first and last day of the suspension or postponement period imposed by the court pursuant to this section. If a person at the time of the imposition of a sentence is less than 17 years of age, the period of license postponement, including a suspension or postponement of the privilege of operating a motorized bicycle, shall commence on the day the sentence is imposed and shall run for a period of six months after the person reaches the age of 17 years.
If a person at the time of the imposition of a sentence has a valid driver’s license issued by this State, the court shall immediately collect the license and forward it to the commission along with the report. If for any reason the license cannot be collected, the court shall include in the report the complete name, address, date of birth, eye color, and sex of the person as well as the first and last date of the license suspension period imposed by the court.