OCEAN CITY – Neighborhood social media groups were quick to alert users about the early seasonal appearance of disruptive groups of young people even before the Memorial Day weekend at popular shore locations.
With the nice weather for the holiday weekend, posts by concerned residents kicked off an avalanche of reactions and dismay among Ocean City homeowners and others, claiming the seaside resort’s boardwalk in “America’s Greatest Family Resort” drew crowds of teens exhibiting what writers termed mob-like rowdyism and overall “bad behavior.”
One post from a Bay Avenue resident asked, “Is the teenage mob now a new regular phenomenon in Ocean City?”
Another from Northfield said, “Kids are out of control and laws haven’t been updated to cover things like off-road bikes, cyber bullying and other stuff that help escalate these situations. Not to mention holding parents or guardians accountable.”
Several referred to recent changes in state law to reform the juvenile justice system that “have tied (Ocean) City Council’s hands.”
Gov. Phil Murphy signed into law the new rules Jan. 20, 2020, through what he termed “landmark legislation,” to “ensure a more humane, just, and equitable criminal justice system” for juveniles, which, in New Jersey, are those individuals under the age of 18 at the time of an offense.
Changes were made to the state’s incarceration and parole rules, including the elimination of fines as a penalty for juvenile offenders, limitations on when juveniles may be incarcerated, and the replacement of the mandatory post-incarceration supervision period with one that is discretionary.
In response to a Herald request for comment, Doug Bergen, Ocean City’s public information officer, provided a statement jointly prepared by the resort’s Mayor Jay Gillian and Police Chief Jay Prettyman:
“We are aware of the many issues related to large gatherings of teens on the beach and boardwalk. We can assure you that providing a safe environment for our residents and guests will always be our top priority.
“In some ways, the idea of groups of young people meeting on the boardwalk is no different than what Ocean City has always experienced. In other ways, what we’re seeing today is very different. Social media allows word to spread quickly and gatherings to grow exponentially. Social norms have changed to the point where some teens fear no consequence for their actions. Sadly, new juvenile justice reform mandated by the state makes issuing strong consequences very difficult for our police department.
“Our plan to address the situation includes many elements. Our full-time and seasonal police staffing is at its highest level ever, and there are more on the way. With new officers completing police academy, we expect to add 21 to our seasonal force. These men and women are doing the best they can within the framework of the law.
“We had some success last summer in allowing teens to gather on the beach and to linger there beyond the 10 p.m. curfew. The crowds on the beach were generally well-behaved and caused no disruption on the boardwalk. We will look to continue and possibly extend this policy. We will maintain a strong police presence on the boardwalk.
“At the same time, the mayor will spearhead a campaign to modify state legislation to make it easier for police to enforce the law with teens. He is inviting legislators to come see for themselves what shore towns are experiencing. He will work with the mayors of other towns to seek change.
“A beautiful Memorial Day weekend coincided with proms, the start of senior weeks, and some evening high tides that limited space on the beach. We’re hoping that things calm down to at least a small degree as summer approaches.”
The Herald also requested input on what state troopers are expecting and planning during the summer at the shore. State Police have direct responsibilities for the safety of several municipalities in Cape May County, including Upper Township. Beesley’s Point beach on Great Egg Harbor Bay and the seaside village of Strathmere are both located in the municipality.
While there is no local municipal tax to fund state police services, they are covered by the state’s revenue base. Upper Township is one of about 90 state municipalities that receive state police services at no cost to the local taxpayer.
Lt. Adam Dewechter, of the Public Information Unit of the State Police, speaking for the State Police, elected, however, to only address the issue of large groups of young people congregating on various county seaside boardwalks rather than the larger issue of overall safety and order during the summer.
Dewechter stated that State Police “will not provide a comment on this topic. While our police powers and operations do extend across the state,” with reference to boardwalk confrontations, “we have no boardwalks in our NJSP (New Jersey State Police) station areas. Those boardwalks in Cape May County are covered by local police departments, and we would be speaking for another agency if we were to provide commentary on this.”
To contact Camille Sailer, email csailer@cmcherald.com.
