Jersey Shore Exec Says Unruly Teens Won't Be Allowed to 'Steal the Summer'

OCEAN CITY, NJ — It was supposed to be just another night on the boardwalk in Ocean City, New Jersey, with her family: her husband, their 6-year-old son and a group of grandparents reliving a ritual that took place in the family. for generations.

But this year, said Kari, of Dutchess County, New York, their beloved coastal town wasn't the same resort town. (She and her husband did not want their last name used, given the nature of the subject.)

The family found themselves huddled on a bench at the bottom of the 10th Street ramp as “herds of children” ran past them leaving the boardwalk, where there had been a stabbing.

“It wasn't the same feeling we had coming here,” said Kari, standing outside the Steel's Fudge store in the relative quiet of a Tuesday after a hectic Memorial Day weekend, while her son and husband came in to have fun. “It’s very disturbing, very disappointing. We hope they find a solution.

Up and down the Jersey Shore, it was a weekend that saw huge crowds of teenagers on boardwalks from Wildwood to Seaside Heights, multiple fights, a stabbing near 10th Street on the Ocean City Boardwalk and the complete closure of the Wildwood Boardwalk from Sunday until midnight. 6 a.m. Monday after officials cited “civil unrest.”

A new Shore season

After rain-filled weekends and vacations coinciding with prom and graduation weeks, coastal towns were flooded with visitors to begin the 2024 season.

Besides the chaos on the boardwalks, there were other, less dramatic signs of cities near breaking point: hours of waits for lattes, thousands of bagel orders, a line outside TacoCat in Margate that was around the block.

The general level of unrest left traders, officials and visitors feeling uneasy. Similar incidents have occurred in Seaside Heights and even resorts in Massachusetts.

» LEARN MORE: Laws for Jersey Shore Teens: Curfews, Backpack Bans and Beach Closures

Coastal cities have enacted curfews and backpack bans and used a variety of strategies in recent years to deal with unruly teenagers. But local officials say state laws changed in 2020 to address unnecessary punishment of juveniles have left local police departments without the tools needed to maintain control.

Gov. Phil Murphy and juvenile justice reform advocates argue that the laws are needed to “mitigate racially and socioeconomically disparate outcomes in the criminal justice system and to address substance use problems with an approach focused on public health. This year, he refused to sign a law imposing a $50 fine for underage drinking, saying it went against his reform efforts. He says police have the tools they need and the law has been changed to support their efforts.

Tuesday night, Murphy spoke on News 12's “Ask the Governor” segment and said, “We take all of these incidents very, very seriously, as I know communities do.” ” He said his administration would conduct a “post-mortem” to see what “we as a state can do to help.”

Murphy downplayed reports of widespread chaos. “The weekend was overall a successful weekend, including even in these cities,” he said. “The Shore did not have a chaotic weekend. There were three serious incidents.

Local elected officials speak out

“We will not tolerate this,” said Len Desiderio, Sea Isle mayor and director of the Cape May County commissioners, adding that troublemakers would not be allowed to “steal the summer from our families, from our businesses and to our visiting friends.

He said he would meet with the county attorney and sheriff “to discuss how county resources can be used to supplement local law enforcement efforts.”

He said New Jersey's current laws regarding teens and alcohol, while tightened somewhat since last summer, still prevent police officers from fully maintaining control.

Brian Reed, a real estate agent in Wildwood, said that while he questions whether using the term “civil unrest” is necessary, he believes current laws prevent police from doing their jobs. Murphy and others say cities still have the tools they need.

“I think it’s about the government allowing the police to do their job,” Reed said. “It’s really difficult.”

Reed said he's not worried about the chaos of Memorial Day weekend, which has people not wanting to go down to the coast or buy real estate.

“The one thing that's missing in all the coastal towns is inventory for sale,” he said, noting that some version of the weekend's events had been unfolding for years. “If you told me people are going to sell, I’ll tell you I’m going to flip it. I should shout from the rooftops that you might want to sell.

A stab at 'America's largest family compound'

In Ocean City, concern was heightened.

Hordes of teenagers fighting, leaving the boardwalk at 9:12 p.m., a stabbing — not at all what people associate with America's Largest Family Resortas the dry city is called.

» LEARN MORE: Teen stabbed, multiple arrests made in Ocean City boardwalk chaos over Memorial Day weekend

The attack took place in front of the Allcampus hat store near 10th Street. People flocked to the store for safety, including the 15-year-old victim, a witness said. The teen was transported to an Atlantic City hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to police.

Other business owners reported getting into fights with teenagers rushing to their cash registers in the chaos.

“It’s hurting our business and the city,” said a store owner on the boardwalk, who did not wish to be identified. “That’s not a good look.” I am sad as a business owner and as a civilian. These children are not arrested. They have no consequences.

“If you are a family, why would you stay here at night?” ” he said.

» LEARN MORE: Police Chief: Ocean City curfews and beach closures have sent teens to other parts of the city.

Other people in Ocean City said Tuesday that they did not notice the moments of chaos, despite being on the boardwalk nearby.

“I saw it on TikTok,” said a mother of girls aged 14 and 17. “I still love Ocean City. …I still feel like it's a safe zone.

A “local disaster emergency”

Ocean City Mayor Jay Gillian said officers made “several arrests” Saturday night and were able to “quickly restore order to the boardwalk once the teens involved in these incidents were removed.” He said the city “will not tolerate” continued incidents.

In Wildwood, city officials said they were responding to “an overwhelming number of calls” Saturday evening, most related to the “extremely large number of young adults and minors who were in the city for the weekend.” end of Memorial Day.”

Shortly after midnight, unable to respond to calls for service in the city, Police Chief Joseph Murphy declared a “local disaster emergency” and closed the parkway. This allowed the city to “effectively address numerous incidents of civil unrest and ensure the safety and well-being of our residents and visitors.”

The state of emergency was lifted at 6 a.m.

As of Tuesday, city officials had yet to detail the number and type of arrests, or describe the specific injuries or incidents that prompted the extraordinary actions.

Ocean City Councilwoman Jody Levchuk, owner of Jilly's Arcade on the boardwalk, said Ocean City remains “extremely safe.”

Wes Kazmarck, owner of the Surf Mall and manager of Ocean City Boardwalk Merchants, said the weekend was the first decent nighttime weather all spring. There was pent-up enthusiasm for an evening on the boardwalk, he said, and he hopes the shore season will calm down.

“Memorial Day weekend this year was a very wet and cold spring,” Kazmarck said. “You didn't have to be in this area long to not expect there to be a lot of people. We are always preparing.

“I think Ocean City is very, very aware that the resort industry is the engine of the economy,” he said. “The walk is a big part of it. We will ensure that this environment continues to be safe. They will make sure of it.