Connect with us
Shorebeat Presenting Sponsors

Police, Fire & Courts

Long Weekend: 73 Arrests, Three Stabbings, Boardwalk Shutdown in Seaside Heights

Police arrest a suspect in Seaside Heights, Memorial Day Weekend 2025. (Photo: Assemblyman Paul Kanitra)

Police arrest a suspect in Seaside Heights, Memorial Day Weekend 2025. (Photo: Assemblyman Paul Kanitra)

Incidents of violent and foul behavior on the part of visitors to Seaside Heights over the Memorial Day weekend are eliciting strong reactions from police and elected officials, who argue the chaos over the last three days is a result of failed state policies and Gov. Phil Murphy’s veto of an “anti-brawl” bill that passed both houses of the state legislature.

According to borough officials, Seaside Heights saw 73 arrests over the weekend, with witnesses reporting chaos on the streets with frequent fights breaking out – mainly among groups of teens and young adults – plus three stabbings, a pedestrian struck by a vehicle in nearby Seaside Park, a fatal hit-and-run accident in Toms River, and a car that plowed into a retail store in Lavallette’s business district. Seaside Heights police said they received no cooperation from the victims of the stabbings, which sent at least one person to a trauma center via medevac helicopter. One incident apparently included the brandishing of a firearm, sending crowds of people fleeing down a street, though there were no reports of gunfire. One person, who was not identified by name, was charged with a gun offense.

Get Daily Island News Updates
Your email address:*
Please enter all required fields Click to hide
Correct invalid entries Click to hide

Department spokesman Detective Steve Korman reported 52 adults and 21 juveniles were arrested over the three-day period from Friday morning through Sunday night.

Police shut down the Seaside Heights boardwalk at 12:06 a.m. after officers responded to the third stabbing incident, a last-ditch effort to quell the crowds that had turned violent, which police characterized as “taking a proactive approach to ensure public safety.”

Extra officers were brought in to Seaside Heights from the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department, Brick Township Police Department, Toms River Police Department as well as the county prosecutor’s office. Still, many witnesses who posted accounts on social media said police were overwhelmed by the lawless behavior of visitors.

Strong reactions were beginning to emerge Monday after videos of the incidents went viral online just days after Murphy vetoed a bill that would make it illegal to create a “public brawl” in New Jersey – a step below a formal riot charge. The bill would have punished organizers of out-of-control gatherings and so-called “pop-up parties” that promote alcohol-fueled gatherings “down the shore,” generally emanating from amateur DJs and and organizers from North Jersey’s urban centers. Seaside Heights officials successfully sought an injunction against one such party organizer from East Orange last week.

The anti-brawl law would have made brawling a low-level indictable offense (New Jersey’s equivalent of a felony), which would carry penalties of up to 18-months in jail or a fine of as much as $10,000. A lower category offense, known as a disorderly persons offense, would have set a $1,000 fine and a maximum of six months in jail.

Murphy conditionally vetoed the bill, he said, because it would have included penalties for those wearing masks to conceal their faces during the brawls, which the Democratic governor contended could lead to people with medical conditions being charged with crimes. The veto was blasted by local officials, including Assemblyman Paul Kanitra (R-Ocean), who co-sponsored the legislation.

“In a rare bipartisan effort, we passed a ‘Public Brawl’ bill I cosponsored out of the State Assembly and Senate,” he posted on social media. “Unfortunately, the Governor used his line item veto to weaken it, which kept it from being in place in time for the holiday weekend. I ask everyone to contact the Governor’s office and ask him to stop handcuffing our police officers and stop putting criminals before law abiding citizens.”

Likewise, police unions began putting out statements in support of their fellow officers in the Shore area. North Jersey also saw raucous behavior over the weekend, with violent fights breaking out at two malls.

“Once again, the streets of Seaside Heights are being turned into a battleground of chaos, disorder, and disrespect — and once again, police officers are left to clean up the mess with nothing more than lip service from the leaders in Trenton,” said Ron Osadacz Jr., President Aberdeen PBA Local 163. “Let us be absolutely clear: the recent surge of violence, large-scale unruly crowds, and blatant disregard for the law is not a surprise. It is the predictable result of policies that have handcuffed law enforcement, empowered lawbreakers, and ignored the safety and quality of life of our communities.”

The full statement from the PBA is available on the organization’s social media page.

Shorebeat could not reach spokespeople for Murphy’s office. The publication will be seeking arrest reports via the state’s Open Public Records Act to better understand the details of the incidents that occurred.

Total
0
Shares
Share 0
Tweet 0
Pin it 0
Share 0
Related Topics
Click to comment