Ocean City swiftly and unanimously passed two ordinances Thursday aimed at controlling large gatherings of teens during the busy summer season — a decision that was made in response to a hectic Memorial Day weekend.
Council members held a special meeting at 1 p.m. on Thursday to take a final vote on one ordinance that moved up the city-wide curfew for minors and another that banned backpacks on the boardwalk and beach.
Minors are now prohibited from being on the city’s beaches, streets and boardwalk after 11 p.m. during the summer season unless accompanied by a parent or guardian. Previously, the curfew was set at 1 a.m.
On the other hand, Ocean City’s newly passed backpack ban applies to both kids and adults.
Backpacks larger than about half a sheet of paper will not be permitted on the beach or boardwalk after 8 p.m. from May 15 through September 15, according to the ordinance.
The laws were passed in response to increased reports of underage drinking, vandalism, assaults and shoplifting in the Cape May County Shore town during the summer season, officials said.
“Young kids are drinking too much and passing out, our EMTs are all over the place, our police officers are picking kids up trying to get them better. It’s wrong and it’s our fault,” Mayor Jay Gillian said at a conference announcing the ordinances earlier this month. “It’s all of our faults for letting this happen.”
Over Memorial Day weekend, Ocean City police issued 1,100 warnings to juveniles and had over 100 shoplifting reports, according to Police Chief Jay Prettyman. Last year, about 600 warnings were issued and 60 shoplifters were reported.
“When we went to the boardwalk this year, the sheer number of individuals was alarming,” Prettyman said. “We had an increase in fights, we had eight juveniles that were unconscious due to alcohol that we had to take to the hospitals. We had weapon offenses.”
Two boardwalk bathroom attendants even quit after getting spit on and pushed by teens that weekend, authorities said.
In response, Gillian signed orders the day after Memorial Day, enforcing closures of the beaches after 8 p.m. and boardwalk bathrooms after 10 p.m. throughout the summer season.
“What I saw (Memorial Day) weekend is just absolutely unacceptable,” Gillian said. “We have a responsibility here and if we think that we can just give kids no accountability, then this is what happens.”
Both ordinances, which were unanimously passed without public comment Thursday, were fast-tracked to ensure that they would be in effect ahead of Father’s Day weekend— traditionally the next weekend during the summer season when Ocean City sees large crowds of juveniles, officials said.
A few exceptions will excuse minors from the curfew rule, including if they are participating in supervised activities, running errands under the direction of a parent or exercising First Amendment rights.
After questions were raised by the public at Ocean City’s previous council meeting this month, officials clarified that adults would not be exempt from the backpack ban.
“No backpacks, as defined in that ordinance, means no backpacks,” said city solicitor, Dottie McCrosson.
“So someone who is carrying diapers in clearly a diaper bag or carrying a small child should not believe that they can bring a backpack up because the law applies to everyone.”
Other Jersey Shore towns have implemented similar rules in recent years to address issues with teens and pop-up parties.
Toms River’s beach communities, for example, instituted a curfew in 2020 that prevents anyone under 18 from being out on the streets after 10 p.m. without an adult. This curfew will be reinstated this summer.
The backpack ban and youth curfew in Ocean City are comparable to those in neighboring Sea Isle City. Sea Isle prohibits backpacks on the promenade, beaches, and beach street-ends between 10 p.m. and 1 a.m., and has a curfew for youth set at 10 p.m.
During a June news conference on Ocean City’s boardwalk, Sea Isle Mayor Leonard Desiderio and Sen. Michael L. Testa Jr., R-1st Dist., stood alongside the city’s council members, expressing their support for the new laws.
“We can’t afford to have the reputation of America’s greatest family resort damaged beyond repair and that is what will happen if we continue to allow anarchy on our boardwalks and on our beaches,” Testa said.
Sen. Michael L. Testa Jr., R-Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, stood alongside the city’s council members, expressing support for the Ocean City's new ordinances on June 1 at the Ocean City boardwalk.
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Nyah Marshall may be reached at Nmarshall@njadvancemedia.com