A rise in teen crime is forcing some Jersey Shore towns to close their beaches and boardwalks early. Some use sirens to announce their 10pm curfew.
Unruly crowds of young people. The Avalon Mayor cited “unsafe and disruptive behavior”
Things getting so bad in Avalon, Mayor Pagliughi now closing beach each night at 9p, the boardwalk by 11p.
Avalon mayor says Gov. Murphy’s stance on cannabis use & justice reform to blame for tying police’s hands.
“This unfortunate measure is a direct result of Gov. Murphy’s destruction of effective enforcement of laws pertaining to juveniles, and the elimination of certain police powers. Accountability and education begins at home, and some parents need to take an active approach in managing the activities and whereabouts of their juveniles”.
Police powers restricted by Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy‘s stance on cannabis use.
Avalon Mayor Martin Pagliughi
Pagliughi said NJ Gov Murphy and NJ state are “directly responsible for unlawful conduct which compromises public safety.”
- Juvenile justice reform.
- Elimination of bail in many cases.
- Threats of charging police officers for investigating potential offenses.
“State leaders approved legislation that requires police, in many cases, to issue only curbside warnings to minors for alcohol, cannabis use or possession” said Avalon Police Chief Jeffrey Christopher. Juvenile not obligated to provide their actual name.
See Legal Cannabis: Frequently Asked Questions
Avalon one of many Jersey Shore towns dealing with teen crime, destruction of property and harassment of residents.
Margate Residents Endure Teen Troublemakers and Club Wa Weekends
Margate is home to the infamous ‘Club Wa’. (See video above by Ricky Reports.)
A local, Margate WAWA doubles as a nightclub for hundreds of kids each weekend during the summer.
Curfews not permitted in State of NJ, except for Atlantic City.
Mayor Marty Small too soft on Atlantic City Teen Crime?
Teen crime in Atlantic City is bad. So much so, Mayor Marty Small was forced to implement a 10pm curfew siren for those under 18 yrs of age.
NOTE: Atlantic City Boardwalk vendor recently died after being harassed by two teens, 12 and 14 yrs of age. One teen allegedly threatened the Boardwalk storeowner with a knife.
AC Mayor Small shrugs when asked about being soft on crime like NJ Governor, Phil Murphy.
When asked about out-of-control teen crime in Atlantic City, Mayor Small responds by saying, ‘it’s the culture’.
The problem is there’s no place for teens to hangout….there could be community sponsored events that would be planned, have some food vendors, music, etc. I suggested this years ago….the ball park on Jerome Ave. would be a great venue. Parents could be involved in organizing, supervising, helping.
It’s time to have some planning…..this issue will not disappear but will grow- more new huge houses= more residents= more teens.
Avalon’s mayor blaming weed LOL these kids are drunk AF.
Guess what the parents are out getting drunk too that’s why the kids roam unsupervised.
But at least no one’s getting high and watching movies at home with some munchies.
Where did you hang out when you were a teenager?
We all hung out!!
We were kids.
In Philly we hung out at a place called The Wall.
A driveway surrounded by homes.
Occasionally a neighbor would call the police to chase us away.
In Atlantic City we hung out on the boardwalk at Chelsea , High Hat Joe’s.
Never destructive or unruly to my recollection.
These kids are doing what we did and doing it at WAWA.
When they get unruly and destructive that is different.Then the line must be drawn.
I agree with a curfew. Rights are rights but there is another side too.
Bring back a curfew and if violated, fines for parents and community work for the kids.
Elaine, while your idea is a good one, the concentration of teens is far higher closer to the Club Wa area. Just because you have things at a venue like the Jerome area, doesn’t mean these teens would GO there. Parents still need to play a greater role in accountability and responsibility.
Start imposing fines on the parents for their children’s behavior. I have seen it first hand in Margate and Atlantic City. Start hitting the pocket books and watch the parents change their attitude.
A big point is being missed. Yes, as teens we “hung out” in various places, but past generations were not anywhere near as disrespectful and unruly, as the kids are today. Respect for any kind of authority, including for their own parents, seems to be a thing of the past in itself. The sheer sense of entitlement is a new concept in new generations, and it is not a positive one.
Crazy kids whose parents let them run around like animals.
Depending on age, some of us went to Meral’s, Maynard’s, Gable’s, Gilhooley’s, Omar’s, Green House, maybe Touche/Polo Bay, and crashed after-party at Maloney’s Bike-a-Thon.
Even went to bars in AC (where they served minors more often than Margate, to Margate’s credit), even trying to charm other patrons, as 17-18-19 year olds.
This morning, many cars on S Franklin Ave in Margate were EGGED. Mostly all parked cars on both sides of the street had eggs smashed on front/rear windshields and other parts of our cars.
Brown egg shells were on the curb, street, and our cars.
It was reported to the Margate Police who said a similar incident took place the other day further North in Margate where homes were egged.
I don’t know who is doing this but I encourage anyone who has also had this experience or knows who might be responsible (through a Ring video or similar) to contact the Margate Police.
Thank you.