More than 70 people were arrested, three were stabbed and the boardwalk was shut down overnight during a chaotic Memorial Day weekend in Seaside Heights, police said.
Fifty-two adults and 21 juveniles were arrested between 6 a.m. on Friday and 6 a.m. on Memorial Day, Seaside Heights Detective Steve Korman said.
About 100,000 visitors flocked to Seaside Heights for the holiday weekend this year, Korman said.
Three young adults were stabbed in Seaside Heights over Memorial Day weekend in separate incidents, Korman said. None of the three who were stabbed cooperated with police, Korman said, and no arrests were made. All three stabbings happened within a block of the boardwalk.
The boardwalk was temporarily shut down following the third stabbing, starting just after midnight on Monday, Korman said. Police did not specify whether the entire boardwalk was closed or how long the closure lasted.
One of the 73 arrests was of a 21-year-old Beachwood man, whom police arrested after being called to Grant and Ocean Terrace avenues on reports of a fight. The man was also charged with possession of a firearm, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, resisting arrest and obstruction.
Borough officials entered the weekend with an assertive plan to prevent violence from breaking out on the boardwalk after similar incidents happened last year over the popular travel holiday.
Leading up to the weekend, one of the busiest for the Jersey Shore, Seaside Heights Mayor Tony Vaz told NJ Advance Media about 100 police officers were prepared to intervene in disorderly conduct. He said borough officials coordinated a comprehensive plan that would include outside law enforcement response should crowds, particularly teens and young adults, become chaotic.
Vaz couldn’t be reached by NJ Advance Media on Monday.
In back-to-back years, police have responded to stabbings on one of New Jersey’s boardwalks during the popular weekend. Last year, a 15-year-old was stabbed during a brawl in Ocean City. Police charged another teenager with attempted murder in the attack.
Last year in Seaside Heights, a panicked crowd dashed down exit ramps amid reports of shots being fired on the boardwalk. That claim was later unfounded.
Over the weekend, borough police were aided by authorities from both the Ocean County sheriff’s and prosecutor’s office, as well as officers from Brick Township, Korman said.
Assemblyman Paul Kanitra, a Republican who represents Seaside Heights, praised the police department for their efforts.
“Their strong leadership is cracking down. If you go there with bad intentions, you will likely leave in handcuffs,” Kanitra said.
Stories by Eric Conklin
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Eric Conklin may be reached at econklin@njadvancemedia.com.