New Jersey attorney general blames shore town for having too few police on boardwalk during melee

SEASIDE HEIGHTS, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey’s attorney general on Friday blamed a Jersey Shore town for not having enough police officers patrolling its boardwalk over the Memorial Day weekend, when the force was overwhelmed and the city temporarily closed the walkway.

Matthew Platkin said Wildwood did not have enough police officers assigned to its boardwalk on Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, when the city says it was swamped with calls for help to respond to incidents of rowdy teens and young adults creating disturbances.

The disorder led the city to close the boardwalk overnight and to seek help from neighboring police departments.

Numerous local officials and police supervisors from Jersey Shore towns, as well as the president of the statewide police union, blame a series of juvenile justice reforms New Jersey has enacted in recent years with emboldening teens and giving them the sense that there is little police can do to them if they are caught with alcohol or marijuana.

But during an event to check boardwalk games of chance to make sure they comply with state regulations and give customers a fair chance to win, Platkin defended the law and placed responsibility squarely on Wildwood, which he said has “hired the fewest law enforcement officers this year than they’ve ever hired.”

<bsp-list-loadmore data-module="" class=«PageListStandardB» data-gtm-region=«READ MORE» data-gtm-topic=«No Value» data-show-loadmore=«true» data-gtm-modulestyle=«List B»> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> READ MORE </bsp-custom-headline> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> Charlotte police plan investigation update on fatal shootings of 4 officers </bsp-custom-headline> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> Man who injured