A Jersey Shore town that’s been plagued by late-night chaos from rowdy teenagers will impose a curfew closing the boardwalk overnight this summer.
Wildwood — which declared a state of emergency two years ago when a mob of young “unruly” revelers took over the beachfront — approved an ordinance at a town commissioners meeting Wednesday to close its boardwalk daily from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m., year-round, beginning on May 13, WPVI reported.
Officials in the South Jersey town said the closure expands on safety measures already in place to address large seasonal crowds, including a 10 p.m. curfew for minors and a ban on backpacks they claim has already improved the city’s boardwalk.
“This is a tourist destination, and we’re trying to keep our residents and our tourists safe,” Deputy Mayor Steve Mikulski said at the meeting.
But the new rules prompted pushback from boardwalk business owners, who have called for greater policing rather than slashing valuable seasonal hours, according to the Press of Atlantic City.
Town leaders argued the police department is running significantly short on manpower compared to years past, and the curfew is the best option available for public safety.
“First and foremost, the mere presence of uniformed officers is not having a great effect on influencing the adolescent age crowds that we’re seeing down here,” Police Chief Joe Murphy told commissioners.
“We are more convinced that this closing time is needed to help mitigate these late-night crowd issues,” Murphy added. “I believe these closures will not only reduce our early morning offenses but will also help with the resilience of our officers.”
Others argued that the raucous youths will simply find somewhere else in town to cause trouble.
There will be no audio announcement ordering people to get off the boardwalk and officers will not be actively ushering people away from the area, officials insisted.
Patrons waiting in line for concessions or services like tattoos or piercings at the cutoff will reportedly still be allowed to get their pizza slice or stud.
“This is not intended to be overly harsh,” McConnell said, adding the deadline“will be adjusted as necessary.”
During Memorial Day Weekend in 2024, Wildwood officials declared a state of emergency after a massive group of “unruly” teens and young adults wreaked havoc on the boardwalk, forcing the city to temporarily shut it down.
Local cops were so busy dealing with unrest that the city was unable to respond to certain service calls for a period of time.
That same weekend in nearby Ocean City, a 15-year-old boy was stabbed on the boardwalk, spurring panicked crowds of beachgoers to flee the area.
