Over the summer, I’ve noticed it in Ocean City, New Jersey: the island, which was always crowded during these months, is beyond packed now, especially after the Fourth of July. Parking was difficult in the past, but now it’s impossible. But being a dry town and not as large as Long Beach Island, Wildwood, or Seaside Heights, it kept much of the riff-raff out.
Being further south of the state helps, too. There are still incidents, but nothing compared to the ‘Gangs of New York’ showdown that occurred at Seaside Heights over Memorial Day weekend, where a massive brawl erupted, with multiple people stabbed and at least 73 people arrested. And yes, hordes of people descended to the Jersey Shore, and this stuff was bound to happen (via Asbury Park Press):
Seventy-three people were arrested here Memorial Day weekend during a 72-hour period marred by fights, unruly crowds and three stabbings that prompted police to shut down the boardwalk May 26.
The boardwalk reopened later in the day, following the arrests of 52 adults and 21 juveniles from 6 a.m. May 23 to 6 a.m. May 26, said Detective Steve Korman, police spokesman.
One of the arrested adults was charged with possessing a firearm, he said.
Five minutes after the last of three reported stabbings in that time period, Police Chief Thomas Boyd shut down the boardwalk at 12:05 a.m. on May 26, "taking a proactive approach to ensure public safety,'' Korman said.
[…]
The holiday weekend brought approximately 100,000 visitors to the borough, Korman said.
"The last few days have been mayhem in this town,'' said Sarah Frailey, a bartender at EJ's Tap House on the boardwalk.
"It's normally not like this,'' Frailey said. "There's a ton of kids here over Memorial Day weekend, more than the usual in the last few years, a lot of fights on the boardwalk.
"Kids were out of control,'' she said. "It's like the Jersey Shore show.''
After large groups of unruly teens created havoc on the boardwalk on Memorial Day weekends in the recent past, borough officials this year put in place plans to increase police presence and enforce a curfew on minors from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
But even locals say that was impossible to enforce last weekend. The best part is how local authorities tried to spin it: they credited law enforcement with keeping order for most of the town’s visitors, which is funny when juxtaposed to the 73 people arrested for the mayhem. No doubt, Seaside Heights' finest are working to keep the peace, but we all know the politics of the summer dollars here. The good news is that none of the stabbings were fatal.
Mark Mitchell of Rasmussen Reports likened the situation to Jaws. He also wondered if racially motivated violence was being suppressed for obvious reasons, both political and economic:
Lol. This seaside heights thing is like Jaws.
— Mark Mitchell, Rasmussen Reports (@honestpollster) May 27, 2025
Tourists come to the boardwalk and are terrorized by violent animals.
Mayor closes the boardwalk.
Press tries to minimize the danger.
Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the boardwalk!
Lol.
— Mark Mitchell, Rasmussen Reports (@honestpollster) May 27, 2025
Looks like the NJ press is trying to cover up incidents of racial violence at Seaside this weekend.
It's already in Long Branch. You take a crowded beach and throw a youth flash mob on top, then gangs on top of that
— Mark Mitchell, Rasmussen Reports (@honestpollster) May 27, 2025
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