Police Get More Power To Stop Teen Gatherings In Ocean City

OCEAN CITY, NJ — Officials are hoping to curb large gatherings of teenagers this summer by giving police more power to deal with those who break minor laws in Ocean City.

At a recent meeting, City Council unanimously voted to adopt a new ordinance that reclassifies some minor violations as a "breach of peace," allowing police to take violators into custody which they were unable to do, City Solicitor Dorothy McCrosson explained.

"We're just trying to give the police additional tools for maintaining the peace during the summer months when it's so busy," McCrosson said.

The lengthy ordinance gives police more power to deal with issues like public smoking in smoke-free areas, curfew violations, graffiti, littering, noise and more.

Over the summer there were several "pop-up" parties that lead to arrests and property damages across the Jersey Shore. Issues with minors have been growing over the past two summers, with officials blaming statewide changes in laws that mean officers only can issue a warning in most cases.

Residents and vacationers in Ocean City have grown concerned about gatherings of teens on the island, causing some to not want to bring their children to the boardwalk, including Councilman Tom Rotondi.

"Personally, I don't take my kids up to the boardwalk in the summertime after dark," Rotondi said.

Usage of loud music, alcohol and drugs, and littering were cited as big issues in July by several residents, who said that these gatherings were turning people away from coming to Ocean City.

At the time, Councilman Jody Levchuk called the gatherings "essentially the hottest nightclub at the Jersey Shore for teenagers right now." Read More: Ocean City Residents Worry About Teen Beach Gatherings

The new ordinance was met with praise by the Council and residents, who said it was needed.

Cape May County as a whole is looking to curb gatherings, according to Leonard Desiderio, director of the Cape May County Board of Commissioners.

He called for bipartisan support from the local level to Trenton.

"This is not a Republican or a Democratic problem," Desiderio said. "It's a problem that we have to work on all together."