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New city ordinances come on the heels of a Memorial Day weekend filled with young people and teenagers congregating in large groups along the Ocean City beaches and boardwalks.
In response to problems with underage drinking and other violations, Ocean City plans to close all of its beaches at 8 p.m. Carrying backpacks will no longer be permitted after 8 p.m. on the beach and boardwalk, and bathrooms on the boardwalk will close at 10 p.m. The curfew for juveniles will move from 1 a.m. to 11 p.m. Ocean City police responded to 999 incidents over Memorial Day weekend, prompting Mayor Jay Gillian to roll out the new policies.
Ocean City police responded to 999 incidents over Memorial Day weekend after teenagers flooded the beach and boardwalk, officials said.
Ocean City will follow a new strategy in 2023 to deal with teenage groups that cause problems on its beaches, boardwalk and streets. Revised ordinances allow police officers to detain teenagers instead of just giving them curbside warnings. The teens' parents will be called to come pick them up, but no charges will be filed. The ordinance covers curfew violations, excessive noise, littering, vandalism and setting off illegal fireworks. Jersey Shore communities have struggled in recent years with large gatherings of rowdy juveniles and pop-events organized on social media.
Officials in Ocean City have mapped out a new, tougher plan for discouraging rowdy teenage behavior, one with harsher consequences for offenders.