New Juvenile Curfew, Evening Backpack Ban OK’d in OC

OCEAN CITY – At a special meeting of Ocean City Council June 15, the governing body adopted two ordinances aimed at curtailing the disruptive behavior of crowds of juveniles that produced almost 1,000 calls for police service over Memorial Day weekend.
The ordinances go into effect immediately.
The special meeting lasted less than eight minutes as the council quickly adopted the ordinances, with no member of the public opting to speak at the required hearings.
The first ordinance moves the curfew for those under 18 to 11 p.m. It had been set at 1 a.m.
The second bans the use of backpacks above a specified size from 8 p.m. onward on beaches, boardwalks, and street sections adjacent to the boardwalk. This ordinance applies to all individuals regardless of age.
Mayor Jay Gillian has said the police will be reasonable in their enforcement. Adults with a diaper bag, for example, need not fear the ordinance, he said.
The changes come as Ocean City and other beach towns in the county have also adopted “breach of the peace” language as part of the municipal code describing various unwanted behaviors.
The actions by local governing bodies are in reaction to a third year of juvenile misbehavior on beaches and boardwalks prompted, local officials say, by changes in state statutes and directives connected to the state’s legalization of cannabis and the juvenile justice reform initiatives launched by Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration.
Officials claim the state rules have placed local police in a position where they have few tools to combat illegal juvenile use of alcohol and marijuana and police are limited in their ability to control large gatherings of juveniles engaged in disruptive and even illegal behavior.
On the same day the Ocean City Council did its work, the Legislature in Trenton advanced a bill that would increase penalties for underage drinking, even as some supporters of the bill expressed concerns about language regarding parental notification.
The bill would permit police to issue $100 fines and summonses to those under 21 who consume alcohol in public. As currently written, it would also require written notification to a parent or guardian for those under 18.
Supporters of the measure say it closes loopholes in state law that have led to the disruptive gatherings confronting shore communities.
In testimony on the bill, June 15, law enforcement groups expressed concern that the bill would leave police in a situation where they would not be in compliance with attorney general directives.
Republicans criticized the bill as not doing enough. A proposed Republican amendment to remove criminal liability for police officers who enforce the measures was tabled.
Others who oppose the measure say the $100 fine would disproportionally impact lower-income families, often families of color.
The bill squeaked by on a 3-2 vote along party lines in the Assembly Judiciary Committee. It will next be heard in the Appropriations Committee.
While a bill some still see as an inadequate response to the problems in the shore communities meanders through committees in Trenton, the big July 4 holiday looms, with July and August likely to bring even larger crowds to the shore.
The juvenile problem, in its third summer, is still left in the hands of municipalities that must craft ordinances they hope will have a beneficial impact while also avoiding having those ordinances violate state regulations.
Eyes from across the county will be focused on how well Ocean City’s latest attempts at control do this summer.
Contact the author, Vince Conti, at vconti@cmcherald.com.