Dozens of people were arrested after a string of brawls and stabbings involving young adults and juveniles erupted at a popular Jersey Shore boardwalk over Memorial Day weekend, forcing authorities to temporarily shut down the popular tourist site.
At least 73 people – 52 adults and 21 minors – were arrested in Seaside Heights, New Jersey, during the mayhem that began early Friday and ended around 6 a.m. on Monday, local reports say, citing local police.
Rep. Paul Kanitra, R-N.J., said in a social media post on Sunday that “40+ arrests have been made in just the past two days by the Seaside Heights Police Department.”
“Their strong leadership is cracking down,” Kanitra continued. “If you go there with bad intentions, you will likely leave in handcuffs.”
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Three young adults were stabbed in separate incidents, Seaside Heights Detective Steve Korman told local media, adding that the third stabbing prompted officials to temporarily shut down the boardwalk just after midnight on Monday.
SWAT teams were on standby ahead of the weekend after a similar incident occurred during last year’s long holiday weekend involving large groups of unruly juveniles, according to FOX 29 Philadelphia.
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Despite efforts to control this year’s situation with a 10 p.m. curfew for minors and increased police presence, dozens of teens and young adults flooded the area and engaged in violent altercations near the boardwalk, the local station reported.
“We call them gangs,” visitor Michele Benangus said to FOX 29. “I don’t know what they are, just groups of kids, some tougher than others, and we’ve seen them pushing and stuff.”
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Kanitra blamed the surge in teen violence on the state’s “lax” crime laws.
“Seaside Heights, one of the great towns in the 10th Legislative District, continues to deal with the repercussions of New Jersey’s lax on crime policies,” Kanitra said. “But they aren’t taking this sitting down. There is now a strict curfew in place to deal with the juveniles who have increasingly become more and more emboldened as a result of our weak Attorney General.”
The office of New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin and Seaside Heights Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
