Several New Jersey beach towns saw chaos and crime over Memorial Day weekend, some of which involved rowdy teenagers, prompting New Jersey police departments to instill a state of emergency in one city and enact teen curfews in several others.
Crime rates typically rise during the summer months. Although it is unclear if the holiday weekend contributed to the chaos in New Jersey, several police departments took precautionary action to limit the unrest.
Two of the incidents included a 15-year-old boy being stabbed in Ocean City and an 11-year-old shot in Atlantic City. Two women were later arrested in connection to the shooting, Shore News Network reported.
Chaos reportedly ensued in several instances. People fled from the scene of the stabbing in Ocean City. In Seaside Heights, people were sent into a panic on the boardwalk after a backfiring car emulated the sound of a gunshot, according to Shore News Network's report.
Disorderly teens also posed issues for multiple cities, prompting police to issue curfews. Ocean City police enforced its curfew following the stabbing. Seaside Heights also issued a curfew for teenagers that began at 10 p.m.
Toms River Police Department reminded residents of its teen curfew during the summer months.
"A CURFEW is in effect through Labor Day in Toms River's barrier island communities, including Ortley Beach and the northern beaches. Juveniles 17 and under are barred from being out on the streets without an adult from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.," the department posted on its Facebook page.
A spokesperson for the Toms River Police Department told Newsweek that the township has issued a curfew for juveniles from Memorial Day to Labor Day every year since 2020.
"This curfew helps officers mitigate juveniles who congregate in large groups which can lead to disruptive behavior," the spokesperson said.
In Wildwood, rowdy teenagers prompted police to shut down the boardwalk and also declare a state of emergency.
"Out of an abundance of caution due to emergent conditions that have resulted from civil unrest threatening the public health, safety, and welfare of our residents and visitors alike, the City of Wildwood has declared a state of emergency in order to maintain law and order within our jurisdiction. At this time, access to the Wildwood Boardwalk has been restricted and you are asked to avoid the area," a post on the Wildwood Police Department Facebook page said.
The state of emergency was lifted on Monday morning.
Newsweek reached out to the Wildwood Police Department, the Seaside Heights Police Department, the Ocean City Police Department and the Atlantic City Police Department via email for comment.
Update 5/27/24, 4:27 p.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from the Toms River Police Department.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
");jQuery(this).remove()}) jQuery('.start-slider').owlCarousel({loop:!1,margin:10,nav:!0,items:1}).on('changed.owl.carousel',function(event){var currentItem=event.item.index;var totalItems=event.item.count;if(currentItem===0){jQuery('.owl-prev').addClass('disabled')}else{jQuery('.owl-prev').removeClass('disabled')} if(currentItem===totalItems-1){jQuery('.owl-next').addClass('disabled')}else{jQuery('.owl-next').removeClass('disabled')}})}})})
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7r7HWrK6enZtjsLC5jqecsGWamr%2B0sdhmmZ6Zk516tbvWp6pmm6KeuqZ5zJ6kqKqZlrlusMCyZLCdlaCyr7CManBpbGlugQ%3D%3D