After a weekend that saw a state of emergency issued in Wildwood and panicked crowds fleeing from a boardwalk stabbing in Ocean City, Cape May County, New Jersey Prosecutor Jeffrey Sutherland is threatening to bring charges "and possible permanent records" to teens who cause issues at the Jersey Shore this summer.
"For those who come to our communities to create unrest, be forewarned that your bad decisions and bad actions will not be tolerated and law enforcement will use all legal measures to arrest and charge all violators. Instead of capturing positive memories you will be issued charges to answer to and possible permanent records that will impact your future," Sutherland warned in a statement.
In a similar statement, Cape May County Commission Director Len Desiderio said, over the weekend he saw videos of "a few violent, lawless young people walking our boardwalks looking for innocent victims to terrorize and assault."
"We will not tolerate this, and we will not let these thugs steal Summer from our families, our businesses, and our visiting friends," Desiderio wrote in a statement.
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Both Desiderio and Sutherland commended law enforcement officials for their response over the past weekend.
In discussing an incident in Ocean City, NJ, that saw crowds flee after a 15-year-old boy was stabbed in an incident that happened on the boardwalk between 9th and 10th streets on Saturday night, Sutherland said 'charges will be issued."
Sutherland also said that incident remains under investigation.
However, no arrest has been yet announced in that incident.
Sutherland also said that stabbing and another fighting incident on the Ocean City boardwalk over the weekend were both quickly contained by police.
In Wildwood, which shutdown its boardwalk after concerns of "civil unrest" due to an influx of teens and juveniles into the area during the holiday weekend, Sutherland said that by calling for a state of emergency, police officials allowed them to maintain control of the area and prevented "things from escalating."
Just as in Ocean City, Police officials have announced no arrests in Wildwood tied to the state of emergency declaration.
In fact, the Greater Wildwoods Tourism Improvement and Development Authority said the state of emergency was only a "protective measure" and no major incidents were ever reported.
Instead, Sutherland said that law enforcement officials took those steps to ensure these Jersey Shore communities could allow visitors, families and residents to "create positive memories."
"Everyone in our shore communities in Cape May County can be assured that law enforcement is here to make our visitors, families and residents safe so they can enjoy their stays, create positive memories and continue family traditions," he said in a statement.
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