May 21, 2025
Thom Carroll/for PhillyVoice
Memorial Day weekend has been chaotic for many communities at the Jersey Shore in recent years due to unruly crowds of teenagers. The mayors of Ocean City and Sea Isle City say they will have 'zero tolerance' this year and warned visitors not to cause disturbances over the holiday. The Ocean City Boardwalk is shown in the photo above.
After disruptions involving groups of teens have plagued the Jersey Shore during Memorial Day weekends over the past few years, two towns put out a warning Tuesday imploring visitors not to cause trouble.
Ocean City Mayor Jay Gillian and Sea Isle City Mayor Leonard Desiderio said in a joint statement that they're looking forward to a "fun and safe" holiday weekend.
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"But we want to send a clear and simple message: Don't come if you don't want to behave," the mayors said.
Ocean City and Sea Isle City are among a number of shore communities that have recently dealt with unruly behavior by teens. A year ago in Ocean City, a brawl on the boardwalk led to the stabbing of a 15-year-old boy, and Gillian said police issued more than 1,300 curbside warnings last Memorial Day weekend.
After the holiday, Ocean City leaders held a news conference on the boardwalk to address the chaotic crowds. Police chief Bill Campbell lamented that his officers have limited power to hold teens accountable for underage drinking, marijuana use and other disorderly conduct.
"Over the last three to four years, in totality, we feel like we've lost ground somewhat," Campbell said of the struggles with young people.
Two years ago, Ocean City revised local ordinances to allow police to detain people for "breach of peace" violations. The city's updated law covers violations like breaking curfew, excessive noise, littering, vandalism and setting off illegal fireworks.
But while police have more leeway to single out instigators, Campbell said enforcement can be impractical when dealing with large groups. Beyond issuing written warnings and confiscating drugs and alcohol, police can't require juveniles to share their names, addresses or IDs unless there are clear grounds for an investigation and detainment.
In most cases, teens are not formally arrested or charged when they are detained. First-time offenders are usually given stationhouse adjustments that require them to complete community service.
This year, Gillian and Desiderio said police in Ocean City and Sea Isle City will have "zero tolerance" for disturbances and violations of the law. They urged parents to talk to their kids ahead of the holiday weekend.
"Please be aware of what your unsupervised teens may be walking into and help them stay out of trouble," the mayors said.
Other shore communities that have had issues over Memorial Day weekend are taking similar precautions.
In Wildwood, a New Jersey State Police unit is in town assisting local police by urging the public and business owners to report suspicious activity. Wildwood officials declared a temporary state of emergency overnight on Memorial Day last year to respond to large groups of teens in various parts of the city.
"This detail is not in response to any specific threat, but is a proactive measure to ensure the safety of our residents and visitors alike as we enjoy the upcoming holiday weekend," Wildwood police said of their work with state troopers..
Further north in Seaside Heights, officials are going even further to head off problems. Seaside Heights Police Chief Thomas Boyd told the Asbury Park Press he will have help from both state police and the FBI over Memorial Day weekend. Last year, false reports of shots being fired on the boardwalk led to panic and fleeing crowds.
"The FBI is going to help me this Memorial weekend," Boyd said. "They will be in town. I want to make people aware we have the big guns here."
Ocean City, Wildwood and Sea Isle City have all tweaked local laws and curfews for minors in recent years to discourage disruptions. Wildwood and Ocean City both banned backpacks at night on their boardwalks, and Sea Isle City did the same on their promenade in an effort to stop young people from carrying prohibited items with them.
Some state lawmakers want to empower authorities with a new law increasing penalties for inciting brawls.
The New Jersey Assembly sent a bill to Gov. Phil Murphy this month that would make it a fourth-degree crime to organize groups of four or more people to engage in disorderly conduct. Violators would face up to 18 months in prison and fines up to $10,000. Murphy, who said he supports the bill, gave it a conditional veto because of language it contains about mask-wearing as a way for people to conceal their identities. The governor called for revisions to ensure the law does not chill free speech and peaceful protests. Lawmakers expect Murphy to sign a modified bill in June.
