Alex Gobran ’23
Caroline Sewell ’23
Underage drinking at the shore seemed in the minds of many to have been allowed to skyrocket this past summer, thanks to a novel New Jersey alcohol directive that enabled teens at the Jersey shore to experience more laxed patrolling from police officers. Jersey lawmakers intended for the directive to decrease the amount of kids in the justice system, as well as to limit unfair discrimination and harassment towards individuals of marginalized races. The restrictions on the police’s power have altered the consequences teens face for partaking in illegal or disruptive activities. However, the restrictions on the enforcing powers of the police also may have allowed teens to escape serious repercussions for their actions.
According to the December 3rd directive from the New Jersey Attorney General, Gurbir S. Grewal to all law enforcement chief executives, “the system works best when juveniles are diverted away from formal court proceedings and towards social or familial support.”
The new directive reflects this, as it strongly encourages actions like loitering and curfew violations, to be dealt with through informal, curbside warnings. “A curbside warning is an informal ‘talking to’—one that typically arises when an officer observes a juvenile engage in some minor act of delinquency. The conversation occurs in the community, not at the police department, and can be as simple as an officer telling a teenager to ‘knock it off’ without any further formal proceedings.”
New Jersey Senate bill no. 3454 which legalizes adult-use cannabis has also decreased the charges teens face for possessing and consuming alcohol and cannabis. Instead of facing “a petty disorderly persons offense,” those who engage in this behavior under the legal age face a mere written warning for their first violation of cannabis possession, and a parent notification for any subsequent ones. Officers are also not legally allowed to search minors for alcohol or cannabis, and just the smell of it is not sufficient evidence. Minors cannot be taken into custody or detained for alcohol or cannabis possession or consumption.
In order to counteract the rise in teenage misbehavior, some Jersey beach towns have enacted curfews, which generally range from 9P.M. to 10P.M.. However, police are often powerless to enforce these violations as they can only give informal warnings in response.
Many Episcopal students spend their summers at the Jersey Shore, and now face the impacts of these new regulations.
Riley Thibodeau ‘23 benefitted from the relaxed restrictions, stating, “My friends and I have enjoyed that we can hang out at the beach without having to stress about the police at night. I get out of work super late and that’s the only time I am able to see my friends, so it is great to be able to walk around without worrying about getting stopped when we are not doing anything wrong.”
Emily Staid ‘22 has noticed changes in teens’ behaviors, sharing “You definitely notice kids being more bold in walking around with drinks at night. Due to the new laws the kids have gotten a boost of confidence because they know they can’t get in trouble.”
While some students have enjoyed the new and loosened measures, others felt that they have negative repercussions. Owen McCabe ‘23 shares how the law affected him, saying, “Over the summer, a lot of my friends and other teens had so much fun at the beach, but my parents found all of the noise, rowdiness, and party rage from kids hanging out to be disruptive and somewhat obnoxious.”
EA parents irritated by the increase in teenage gatherings at the shore are not alone: many parents and other beach-going adults took to Facebook to complain. One commented, “They [a group of teens] were on my beach during the fireworks. They were about 100 or more of them and they were chanting something, smoking weed and blasting music. I didn’t like having to walk thru them (as they were blocking the exit after the fireworks) with my young granddaughter.”
Another added, “I grew up here also and used to hang out on the beach. Never in groups this size. There are literally hundreds. We saw a group on the beach at night. It reminded me of a rave they were jumping around and screaming. It was very different. Cops on the beach had them surrounded.”
However, some adults stood in defense of the teens through the Facebook page. “The pandemic made these kids unable to be in school together and socialize there…I personally think it is wonderful that now that things are opening back up that they are getting off the internet and getting together in person!”
Clearly, the new regulations have caused controversy between adults and teens alike. Many adults on the Facebook page complained about the lack of enforcement by the police, calling for greater involvement. Looking towards the future, McCabe states, “It brings up the question whether or not the regulations will still be in place next summer, or if things will become more strict again.”