Ocean City To Discuss Juvenile Justice Laws At Town Hall Meeting

OCEAN CITY, NJ — Ocean City officials have planned a town hall meeting to address the new laws pertaining to recreational marijuana use and underage possession of marijuana and alcohol.

The meeting will take place at 9:30 a.m. on May 22 at the Ocean City Tabernacle. Officials will outline the city’s plans to enforce the new laws and how the community can help police.

“We are anticipating an exceptionally busy summer in Ocean City as the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic continues and people are anxious to return to normal. But now that New Jersey has legalized the use of recreational marijuana and essentially eliminated sanctions for underage possession and use of marijuana and alcohol, the summer could feel very different,” said Mayor Jay Gillian and Police Chief John Prettyman in a joint statement on Tuesday.

Officials will address how police policies and liability laws have changed amid the juvenile justice reform that prohibits police officers from arresting an underage person in possession of marijuana or alcohol. Police can only issue a verbal warning or notify juveniles' parents.

Existing ordinances on noise, disorderly conduct and other violations will give police the ability to curb disruptive behavior by juveniles or adults, officials said.

A large class of seasonal officers has given the Ocean City Police Department the resources to increase police presence citywide.

Ocean City has increased police presence in recent weeks after large crowds of teenager bikers were reportedly riding in a reckless way on the boardwalk and streets.

Seasonal officers were hired earlier this year with many assigned to the boardwalk on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Gillian said in his weekly update on Friday.

At least 20 more officers are expected to complete training by June 11 and the city’s request for additional seasonal officers is still pending. The 2021 deployment of seasonal officers will be close to 60 — more than the previous 45, according to Gillian.

Officials will also discuss how the community can notify police if they see juveniles or adults violating the new laws.

“Now, more than ever, we need partners in the community to call us when violations are happening. There often is little we can do after the fact,” officials said.

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