The city of Wildwood, N.J., briefly closed the boardwalk late Sunday, citing “unruly teenage crowds” at the bustling beach attraction during the busy Memorial Day weekend, but provided few details about what prompted the decision.
City officials declared a state of emergency after midnight Sunday, they said, but had the boardwalk reopened at 6 a.m. Monday.
In a rack On Monday, officials said the decision stemmed from “civil unrest” caused by “the extremely large number of young adults and youth in the city,” but did not specify what the youth did to trigger the state of emergency.
Officials said the youth's presence caused “an unstoppable number of calls for service” starting Saturday evening, leaving police unable to respond to other emergencies, and nearby police stations were called in to assist the department.
Late Sunday evening, “conditions began to deteriorate again,” officials said without further explanation, and decided to order the boardwalk's closure.
The statement did not say whether the emergency declaration led to any arrests.
Wildwood Mayor Ernie Troiano Jr. said in the statement that he supported the city's police department “in protecting this community from these nuisance crowds.”
“Wildwood will not tolerate unruly, undisciplined children without parents,” Mr. Troiano said.
Located in a barrier island resort area in the southernmost part of New Jersey, Wildwood is one of a few Jersey Shore communities that in recent years has condemned the crowds of teenagers and young adults that sometimes gather on the boardwalks in the summer.
Last year, State Senator Michael L. Testa Jr., a Republican who represents the communities, submitted a handful of bills he described it as related to “a trend of lawlessness among drunk and rowdy teenagers” in towns along the coast. After reports of underage drinking and vandalism last Memorial Day weekend, Mr. Testa renewed calls to advance the legislation, but none of the measures have passed.
The city of Wildwood, with the nearby towns of North Wildwood and Wildwood Crest, brought in $1.9 billion in visitor spending in 2022. It is a popular holiday destination and just opened its beaches for the season on Friday. the tourism office said. Events were planned for Sunday, including a food truck fair and a free concert.