N.J. lawmakers want to stop pop-up parties and disruptive flash mobs down the shore

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Last summer, as families gathered to celebrate Gloucester Township Day and watch a drone light show at a local park, hundreds of teenagers descended and disrupted the celebrations.

“They were being very disrespectful to us in law enforcement, they weren’t listening to our directions, and for the next two hours they just tried to cause mayhem,” Gloucester Township Police Chief David Harkins said.

Gloucester Township Mayor Dave Mayer said the situation went from bad to worse very quickly.

“To have these unparented thugs come into town is just something that we don’t tolerate,” he told WHYY News.

New Jersey lawmakers are working quickly to enact statutes before the summer to stop similar incidents from happening again.

South Jersey state Sen. Paul Moriarty said towns statewide have had to deal with flash-mob and pop-up party gatherings organized on social media sites.

Moriarty’s bill aims to reduce public fistfights and other disruptive behavior. It designates inciting a public brawl to cause a disturbance at a public gathering as a fourth-degree crime that could result in up to 18 months in jail and a fine of up to $10,000. The legislation also upgrades the crime of simply inciting a public brawl to a disorderly persons offense, with penalties of up to six months in prison and a $1,000 fine.

“Our message to people is that we’re going to arrest you, you’re not just going to get a slap on the wrist, we hope that might be a message that people listen to and say we better not do that in New Jersey anyway,” he said.

In Wildwood, several incidents involving young people running wild along the boardwalk caused civil unrest last summer. Officials had to declare a state of emergency.

“When that happened, they not only ruined it for themselves, they get in trouble, but they ruin it for all those people that are trying to have a nice family night or a nice experience on the boardwalk, or even in town,” Mayor Ernie Troiano said.

The state Senate and General Assembly unanimously passed the measure. It is now awaiting Gov. Phil Murphy’s signature.

Moriarty, a Democrat, and Republican state Sen. Declan O’Scanlon are co-sponsoring a companion bill requiring the state attorney general to establish a training program for crowd management, and providing resources to municipal police departments to deal with pop-up parties and unruly mobs.

“Out-of-control behavior is not going to be tolerated, there will be consequences, and there will be resources to make those consequences happen, and with the goal to deter these things from happening in the first place,” O’Scanlon told WHYY News.

“These things can get out of control and are set up to get worse rather than better unless we take some proactive action like this, and this is called for and it should happen very quickly,” he said.

Moriarty said he is working on a separate bill to hold parents responsible for their children engaging in civil disturbances.

“We see people that are dropping off five or six people at an event that’s three towns over from theirs, their kids are 14 or 15 and they just drop them off,” he said. “It’s apparent they’re up to some mischief, just by the way they’re dressed.”

Mayer said that when his children were growing up, he always knew where they were.

“I really hold the parents responsible,” he said.

Troiano strongly supports enacting tougher laws to stop pop-up parties. “If you want to act like a fool you’ll be treated as such,” he said. “Anything that will create a safer environment is a good thing.”

Mayer and Harkins of Gloucester Township are also in favor of stricter laws.

“Hopefully it will persuade these juveniles to stop this and persuade their parents to keep track of where their kids are,” Mayer said.

Harkins said police chiefs across the region support the bills.

“It’s a trend that we have to do something about,” he said. “This legislation is a good way of beginning to address this.”