ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — Parents should be held civilly or criminally responsible for the actions of their children that create disturbances or damage in public places, a group of New Jersey police chiefs and Republican lawmakers said Wednesday during a forum held after a second consecutive year of disturbances at some Jersey Shore boardwalks over Memorial Day weekend.
The disturbances included the stabbing of a teenager in Ocean City, and waves of unruly young people that prompted the city of Wildwood to shut down its boardwalk overnight.
The panel consisted solely of Republican state and local legislators, whose party has blamed juvenile justice reforms enacted in recent years under the administration of Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy for creating an atmosphere of lawlessness and disrespect for law enforcement among teens and young adults who feel there are no consequences for their behavior.
The changes included restrictions on what officers could say or do to juveniles suspected of underage drinking or marijuana use.
State Republicans did not respond to messages asking which, if any, Democratic lawmakers were invited to participate in the online forum.
Democrats said the reforms were necessary to keep young people out of the criminal justice system. But numerous law enforcement officials and the statewide police union say the measures have handcuffed officers in dealing with unruly young people.
''The juveniles and their parents should be held accountable,'' said Ocean City Police Chief William Campbell. ''The entire juvenile justice system needs to be reformed.''
Campbell cited a recent instance in which a disruptive young person was taken into custody and held at the police station while his parents were called, a tactic recommended under the juvenile reforms in lieu of arrests in some situations. Six hours later, the youth's parents still had not come to the station, so Ocean City police contacted police in the youth's hometown, who went there to speak with the parents.
