What to Know
- Ocean City Mayor Jay Gillian signed off on new policies Tuesday in which all beaches in the town will close at 8 p.m. while carrying backpacks will not be allowed after 8 p.m. on the beach and boardwalk. Boardwalk bathrooms will also be closed at 10 p.m. while the curfew for juveniles was moved from 1 a.m. to 11 p.m.
- Both the beach curfew and evening backpack ban apply to people of all ages, officials said. The new policies are part of a citywide plan that includes police staffing, more announcements and a public awareness campaign, according to officials.
- The new policies come after police responded to 999 incidents over the Memorial Day Weekend, an increase from the 869 incidents that were reported last year, officials said. Those incidents included underage drinking, vandalism, assaults, shoplifting and the confiscation of a firearm, according to officials.
A Jersey Shore town is implementing new rules and a curfew after officials say large crowds of rowdy and drunken teens gathered on Memorial Day Weekend.
Ocean City Mayor Jay Gillian signed off on new policies Tuesday in which all beaches in the town will close at 8 p.m. while carrying backpacks will not be allowed after 8 p.m. on the beach and boardwalk. Boardwalk bathrooms will also be closed at 10 p.m. while the curfew for juveniles was moved from 1 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Both the beach curfew and evening backpack ban apply to people of all ages, officials said. The new policies are part of a citywide plan that includes police staffing, more announcements and a public awareness campaign, according to officials.
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“I understand that these new directives will affect many people who are not teens, but it’s important that we stop this type of behavior now,” Gillian said. “In the end, protecting our reputation as ‘America’s Greatest Family Resort’ will benefit everybody in Ocean City.”
The new policies come after police responded to 999 incidents over the Memorial Day Weekend, an increase from the 869 incidents that were reported last year, officials said. Those incidents included underage drinking, vandalism, assaults, shoplifting and the confiscation of a firearm, according to officials.
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“I want to support the men and women of our police department,” Gillian said. “They have been doing everything they can – within the law – to address this situation, and I want to give them the tools to get the job done.”
In a release announcing the new rules, Gillian blamed the weekend incidents on statewide legislation that a town spokesperson claimed, “largely stripped police officers of the ability to question juveniles, search juveniles and confiscate alcohol.”
“The legislation also eliminates meaningful consequences for juveniles who break these laws,” the spokesperson wrote.
The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office also issued a statewide directive in late 2020 for law enforcement in order to further juvenile justice reform.
Neither the Ocean City spokesperson nor Gillian specified the exact legislation they were referring to in their statement however.
“We want parents, grandparents and families to know that we’re all in this together, and we will be holding people accountable,” Gillian said. “I also want to send a message to our governor and legislators that the laws they forced on all municipalities are a threat to public safety, and they deprive families of the opportunity to enjoy the Jersey Shore.”
