By Donald Wittkowski
Sea Isle City's summer crackdown on underage drinking and other disorderly conduct by large groups of teenagers has been successful so far, Police Chief Tom D'Intino said Tuesday.
Prompted by an outbreak of rowdy behavior that began over the Memorial Day weekend, police have increased their patrols and implemented a "zero tolerance" enforcement program to protect the beaches, the Promenade and other parts of town.
D'Intino, in comments to members of City Council during their meeting Tuesday, described the crackdown as a great success and stressed it will continue through the rest of the busy summer tourist season.
"There's been quite a few arrests up there," he said, referring to the Promenade, the city's popular oceanfront walkway and gathering spot.
Councilwoman Mary Tighe, who asked D'Intino for an update on the enforcement program, said the rowdy behavior seems to be particularly bad this summer.
"I've heard a lot more negative comments this summer than in the past," she said.
Tighe credited police with doing a great job in responding to the disorderly crowds, but she wondered whether Sea Isle's family-friendly reputation is being harmed by the unruly behavior.
"The perception is out there that Sea Isle is not a safe place, but it is," Tighe said in an interview after the Council meeting.
D'Intino and City Business Administrator George Savastano assured Council that police will remain vigilant to protect Sea Isle's residents and tourists from crime.
Since the crackdown began, "people do feel safe," Savastano told Council.
D'Intino said police have received a lot of positive feedback from the public about the Promenade being "tidied up" and made safer.
Beginning with Memorial Day weekend, police have received numerous complaints about unruly teens, underage drinking, open containers of alcohol and curfew violations on the beaches. Another problem has been bicycle riders, skateboarders and roller-bladers violating the posted times on the Promenade.
"It has been continuing all summer," Tighe said. She added, "Nobody seems to be happy."
During the Fourth of July weekend, police issued 27 summonses for quality-of-life offenses, including curfew violations on the beaches and Promenade. In addition, there were arrests for drug possession, underage drinking and robbery and weapons offenses.
Most recently, police responded on July 21 to a home invasion robbery that occurred shortly after 3 a.m. on the 300 block of 47th Place. Three suspects armed with a handgun tied a victim to a chair in the garage and ransacked the house. They fled in a vehicle after being confronted by the victim's father.
D'Intino, noting that police are still searching for the suspects, told Council that the home invasion is unrelated to the outbreak of disorderly conduct.
The city issued separate press releases about the home invasion and the crackdown on rowdy behavior. Tighe said crime-related press releases should be balanced by having the city make announcements about positive events in Sea Isle.
"I think the message we want to get out there is, it is safe in Sea Isle," she said.
Tighe said she fears social media may be contributing to the rowdiness by quickly drawing large groups of teenagers or young adults to the Promenade, especially when there is drinking.
"I think social media is part of the problem," she said.
According to D'Intino, there is simply no solid explanation why this summer has been worse than previous years other than, perhaps, there have been bigger crowds on the Promenade.
"This has been a busy summer," he said. "In my 26 summers (on the police department), some have been extremely busy, while some have been strady."
D'Intino has pledged there will be "zero tolerance" for disorderly conduct. As part of the crackdown, police have increased their patrols, enlisted the help of the Cape May County Sheriff's Department K-9 Unit and set up a substation at 40th Street and the Promenade to hold juvenile offenders until their parents pick them up.
Councilman Frank Edwardi said the city should increase the lighting along the Promenade to also help deter crime. D'Intino explained that the center of the Promenade is well-lit, but that some streetlights have burned out on the outer fringes of the walkway.
In other business Tuesday, Savastano reported that the city expects to approve a $14 million bond sale in September for the new City Hall to take advantage of lower interest rates that will save taxpayers about $1 million.
When City Hall was built last year, Sea Isle financed the project with a series of one-year notes, Savastano said. The city had planned to replace those notes beginning in 2019 with longer-term financing. But instead, it will jump into the bond market in September to capitalize on rates that are as low as 1.6 percent for 15-year notes.
The city is seeking approval from the state Local Finance Board to implement the funding plan, which should save a little more than $1 million in interest costs, Savastano said.
