Ocean City officials talk safety after boardwalk stabbing – NBC10 Philadelphia

Officials in Ocean City, New Jersey, including Mayor Jay Gillian, Police Chief Bill Campbell and others, discussed steps they are taking to improve public safety after crowds were caught on camera fleeing through neighborhoods when a teenager was stabbed on the boardwalk. May 25.

Cape May County Commission Director Len Desiderio also attended Thursday afternoon's press conference.

“We don’t want to give any of these kids a criminal record,” Desiderio said. “We want them to become law-abiding citizens. We want them to go to college if they want to. We want them to get good jobs. And we want them to be productive citizens. But they can't come to our county and disrupt things. We are not going to allow it.

Desiderio is one of several lawmakers who have spoken out in the wake of the stabbing in Ocean City, New Jersey – as well as the state of emergency that was declared in Wildwood, New Jersey – against what he called “a few violent and lawless youths walking our walks looking for innocent victims to terrorize and attack.” »

“We will not tolerate this, and we will not let these thugs steal Summer from our families, our businesses, and our visiting friends,” Desiderio wrote in a statement earlier this week.

Following the weekend attack, two Republican senators – Joe Pennacchio (NJ-26) and Robert Singer (NJ-30) – pushed for the passage of legislation that they said would “give the police the means to prevent future incidents.

“The horrific activity in Ocean City was completely out of control and completely unacceptable. This was yet another preventable incident, and it should never have happened, but Parliament dropped the ball,” Pennacchio wrote in a statement in support of the legislation. “Our bill would provide communities and law enforcement with the tools needed to combat these riots. If it were passed when it was introduced, we might not have to worry about the next “event” that could escalate into violence, property damage, and business interruption during the crucial summer season. This will continue to happen until legislative leaders in Trenton intervene. »

Lawmakers noted that this bill would expand the categories of riot to include aggravated riot, inciting to riot, and aggravated inciting to riot.

It also includes a provision that would allow lawmakers or attorneys in any municipality whose interim budget “contains a reduction in funding for the operating budget of the municipal law enforcement agency” to appeal that proposed reduction .

“Riots and vandalism will drive away visitors and devastate the summer season. As a state, we can’t afford that,” Singer added. “Make no mistake, these are not peaceful gatherings. The organizers encourage young people to go out and cause trouble. They create volatile and dangerous situations. With our legislation, we can stop these riots before they get out of control.

While officials said during Thursday's news conference that the incidents over Memorial Day weekend were unacceptable and would not be tolerated, they did not announce new orders for unruly teens. They did, however, reveal that 24 additional Ocean City seasonal officers will graduate next week and about 20 of them will be assigned to the boardwalk full-time through Labor Day.