Officials vow zero tolerance for bad behavior
OCEAN CITY – Public officials issued a stern warning to large groups of unruly teens and young adults after a fight and stabbing on the Ocean City Boardwalk over Memorial Day weekend and as Wildwood was forced to declare a state of emergency to clear its own boardwalk.
Police said a 15-year-old was stabbed during the fight in Ocean City and officers responded to another fight involving two juvenile females.
“Our officers made multiple arrests last night and were able to quickly restore order to the Boardwalk once the teens involved in these incidents were removed,” Ocean City Mayor Jay Gillian said in a press release. “We have a highly qualified team of officers on the boardwalk and throughout town and they will enforce all laws to the fullest.”
Ocean City police officers responded to the 1000 block of the Boardwalk for a fight at approximately 9:12 p.m. Saturday, May 25, according to Sgt. Dan Lancaster of the Ocean City Police Department Detective Bureau. “During the altercation, a 15-year-old male was stabbed by an unknown male suspect. The juvenile was treated at the scene by the Ocean City Fire Department and transported to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center in Atlantic City for treatment of his injuries, which were not life-threatening.
“The incident is being investigated by the Police Department’s Detective Bureau. Anyone with information that can further assist in the investigation can contact the Detective Bureau at (609) 525-9129,” according to Lancaster.
“Ocean City will always be welcoming to all guests, but I want to send a clear message to parents and to teens: ‘If you don’t want to behave, don’t come,’” Gillian added.
He said Ocean City and other shore towns have experienced problems in recent years related to large crowds of teens on the Boardwalk, fights, shoplifting and disorderly conduct during Memorial Day weekend. Last year, police responded to nearly 1,000 calls over the holiday weekend, but a change in tactics afterward greatly curtailed incidents throughout the rest of the summer.
“I understand the impact that this behavior has on all of our residents, guests and business owners, and I want to assure everybody that Ocean City will not tolerate it,” Gillian said.
Wildwood officials explained why they issued a state of emergency and call for mutual aid Saturday evening when the Wildwood Police Department began to respond to “an irrepressible number of calls,” most related to an “extremely large number of young adults and juveniles.”
On Sunday, May 26, “out of an abundance of caution,” Wildwood Police Chief Joseph Murphy advised city commissioners “emergent conditions existed due to civil unrest threatening the public health, safety and welfare of our residents and visitors alike,” and a local disaster emergency was declared in the early morning hours of Monday when conditions began to deteriorate again.
The state of emergency included the closure of the Wildwood Boardwalk.
“Wildwood will not tolerate unruly, undisciplined, un-parented children nor will we stand by while the laws of the state tie the hands of the police,” Wildwood Mayor Ernie Troiano Jr. stated in a news release. “We wholeheartedly support the city of Wildwood Police Department in protecting this community from these nuisance crowds on our boardwalk and in the city.”
Commissioner of Public Safety Steve Mikulski added, “We had measures in place ahead of the Sunday night crowds so that the police department could take these preemptive actions should the need arise. Unfortunately, the crowds necessitated the state of emergency to which our police department and other responding departments worked together to maintain order in the city.”
At Memorial Day ceremonies Monday, Mayor Gillian referenced the issue again because of videos circulating on social media showing fights on the boardwalk among groups of juveniles that sent others running away and screaming, but made clear Ocean City is safe for families.
“Until we hold our leadership responsible and give our police the tools they need and hold people accountable, it’s a disrespect to what we do here today, honoring so many people,” he said, referring to changes in laws made during the pandemic that limited actions police could take against juveniles.
“I just hope after the weekend we had here in Ocean City and a lot of other seashore towns, we’re all working great together,” Gillian said. “I will say this a thousand times: what you see on social media is 99 percent wrong and Ocean City is one of the safest towns we have in New Jersey.”
“I watched with the same horror that every parent, resident and visitor in Cape May County had this past weekend as videos were posted of a few violent, lawless young people walking our boardwalks looking for innocent victims to terrorize and assault,” Cape May County Board of County Commissioners Director Len Desiderio said in a statement after the incidents in Ocean City and Wildwood. “We also saw this in other parts of the state on other boardwalks.”
Desiderio said police sprang into action and used measures put in place over the past few summers to get things under control. However, he said, “there is still way too much of this disrupting our tourist gathering areas.”
Desiderio said he would meet with the county prosecutor and sheriff to determine ways county resources could be used to help local law enforcement. He noted in 2021 he convened a meeting with local municipal leaders and state legislators to find solutions.
“These issues arose after new laws out of Trenton took the handcuffs off of disorderly persons and effectively put them on the very police officers who we trust to keep peace and good order. Trenton has everything backwards,” Desiderio said. “So far, despite the efforts of our local legislators, our pleas for help have mostly fallen on deaf ears in Trenton.
“I will again be reaching out to all of our mayors and our legislators. We all have a right to live peaceably and we must demand that Trenton allow our police officers to do their jobs in order to maintain law and order,” he said. “We will not tolerate this, and we will not let these thugs steal summer from our families, our businesses and our visiting friends.”
Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey Sutherland also weighed in via press release about the incidents in Ocean City and Wildwood, but noted police were able to get things under control.
“The city of Wildwood and Wildwood police took the proper action to declare civil unrest and close the boardwalk to maintain control and prevent things from escalating,” Sutherland said. “The isolated stabbing and other fighting incident on the Ocean City Boardwalk were quickly contained and controlled by the police. The investigation of the stabbing is continuing and charges will be issued.
“The police in both Ocean City and Wildwood (with the assistance of officers from the County Sheriff’s Department and detectives from the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office) should be commended with how they handled difficult situations,” he added.
“For those who come to our communities to create unrest, be forewarned that your bad decisions and bad actions will not be tolerated and law enforcement will use all legal measures to arrest and charge all violators. Instead of capturing positive memories, you will be issued charges to answer to and possible permanent records that will impact your future,” Sutherland said.
– By DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff