Teen Rowdiness At Jersey Shore Parent’s Fault, Officials Say

JERSEY SHORE — What's the reason for the latest chaos at the Jersey Shore? According to legislators, a variety of factors are to blame, including a lack of parental involvement, weak penalties and no respect towards law enforcement.

Republican Sen. Michael Testa hosted an independent hearing focused on safety concerns at the Jersey Shore, which was attended by legislators and law enforcement officials.

Concerns have been voiced after Memorial Day weekend where chaos erupted in some shore towns and a teenager was stabbed in Ocean City, and local authorities are seeking ways to prevent these actions from happening.

RELATED: 'Pop-Up Party' Planned This Weekend In Wildwood, Police Warn

Wildwood Mayor Ernie Troiano Jr., whose town had to shut down its boardwalk in a state of emergency during Memorial Day weekend, said the problem lies with teenagers bringing their problems to the towns "with no parental guidance."

He also said that recent juvenile justice reforms, enacted to keep teenagers out of the court system and prevent them from having lifelong criminal records, make it difficult to police youths, something that local law enforcement officials have been saying for the past several years.

"The entire juvenile justice system needs to be reformed," said Ocean City Police Chief Bill Campbell.

Campbell shared a recent story where a young man was held in police custody after teens were caught in a stolen car while officers called his parents to come to the station, which is sometimes recommended as an alternative to arrests. But after six hours - "well past midnight," according to Campbell - his parents still hadn't come. Campbell contacted police in the youth's hometown to visit his parents' house.

"The mother was annoyed that she had to come down to Ocean City," Campbell said. He emphasized that both the children and the parents need to be held accountable.

Wildwood Police Chief Joseph Murphy agreed, and noted additional incidents, like pop-up parties, in Gloucester and Camden counties. "These things are happening all over the state now," he said, making it not necessarily just a shore issue. Read more: 6 Arrested At Festival Cut Short By Unruly Crowds In Camden Co.: Police

But officials showed optimism that things could change and solutions could be found.

"I think this problem is very solvable," Testa said, noting that the point of the panel was to bring the community together to seek answers. He said he hoped this would be the first meeting, and not the last.

"I think the pendulum is swinging our way," Testa said.