AVALON – In an effort to “promote public safety and welfare,” Avalon Borough Council April 27 adopted an ordinance that restricts access hours for the borough’s beach, boardwalk, and Surfside Park.
The action repeats similar restrictions imposed during the 2020 and 2021 summer seasons when the borough sought to control the negative impacts of large crowds of juveniles that congregated on the beach and boardwalk and engaged in what was termed “rowdy” behavior.
The ordinance states that it is unlawful “to act in a loud, indecent, obscene, offensive, or lascivious manner” in the areas of the beach, boardwalk, and park.
The ordinance represents an attempt to give the police greater flexibility in dealing with the situations they have confronted in the last two years. Borough officials have been critical of state legislation and directives that they say have handicapped police in dealing with disruptive behavior associated with juvenile gatherings.
The ordinance closes access to the borough’s beach daily from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. The boardwalk and park are similarly closed to the public from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. The ordinance takes effect immediately upon adoption and required advertising.
