Sea Isle's Efforts to Stop Rowdy Behavior "Paying Off"

By DONALD WITTKOWSKI Sea Isle City’s strategy to prevent rowdy teenagers from disrupting the busy summer tourism season appears to be working in the early stages, Mayor Leonard Desiderio said Tuesday in a report to City Council. Responding to complaints about foul language, underage drinking, vandalism and theft, the city has increased its police patrols in popular areas of town and also closed off the entrances to the beaches each night at 10 p.m. to prevent large groups of teens from making trouble. Desiderio said he wasn’t ready to declare a full-scale victory just yet, but noted that the city’s efforts “seem to be paying off” since the extra police patrols and other safety measures were launched two weeks ago. “I’ve had the opportunity to go out with the police department in the evening and witness their efforts firsthand; and I’ve received a lot of positive feedback from many residents about our efforts,” Desiderio said in remarks during the City Council meeting Tuesday. He also said he has been talking to state Attorney General Andrew Bruck, Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey Sutherland and members of the state Legislature for tougher measures to respond to rowdy behavior, including a better system to keep track of the troublemakers and stiffer fines for underage drinking. “We also remain committed to working with the state attorney general to revise some of the laws and directives that have been overly restrictive to law enforcement so that our police have appropriate guidelines before next summer’s season,” Desiderio said. Elected officials and police chiefs at the Jersey Shore have repeatedly complained about a December 2020 directive by then-Attorney General Gurbir Grewal that requires officers to give “curbside warnings” to juveniles who are engaging in minor acts of delinquency instead of detaining or arresting them. The curbside warnings are part of broader reforms in New Jersey’s justice system “to demonstrate to juveniles that police officers are present to give guidance, direction, and assistance, and not simply to take them into custody,” according to the directive. For instance, if a juvenile is in possession of drugs or alcohol, police can do nothing more than issue a warning. Juveniles are not required to give police their names. Police are also limited in notifying the parents of juveniles. Sea Isle City Lt. James McQuillen, second from left, and Cpl. Dustin Phillips of the Cape May County Sheriff's Department have a friendly chat with a group of teenagers on the Promenade on the night of Aug. 15 Desiderio expressed hope that the “pendulum will swing back” in the police’s favor with help from members of the state Legislature and from Bruck, who took over as Gov. Phil Murphy’s acting attorney general in July. “We’re going to continue to work on this through the winter,” Desiderio said of efforts to get the state to approve stricter measures for unruly teens that would be ready for next summer’s tourism season. Councilman Frank Edwardi suggested that the city should post the attorney general’s email address on its website so that Sea Isle residents can easily reach out to him if they have any complaints about teenage misconduct. “The more the merrier. Then he’ll know that Sea Isle is for real,” Edwardi said of Bruck. There have been reports of bad behavior among teenagers at other Jersey Shore towns this summer, including Avalon and Ocean City. In Sea Isle, there hasn’t been a dramatic increase in the number of complaints or incidents, but when things happen they often are magnified on social media, Police Chief Tom McQuillen said. At the same time, police don’t want to appear to be heavy-handed, so they are also using more subtle forms of law enforcement to keep kids from getting out of control, McQuillen noted. They include things as simple as having the officers have a friendly talk with teens about school, sports and their summer vacation, he said. Mayor Leonard Desiderio, center, exchanges high-fives with kids on the Promenade on Aug. 15. In the meantime, the increased police patrols will continue on Sea Isle’s beaches, the oceanfront Promenade and throughout the downtown bar district – all hotspots for groups of teens and young adults. The police department patrols are being supplemented on weekend nights by officers from the Cape May County Sheriff’s Office. “I want to thank everyone who has raised their concerns for working in a positive manner with us,” Desiderio said of local residents. “I want to thank the police, along with the county Sheriff’s Office, for doing a great job.” Residents who spoke during the public portion of the City Council meeting agreed with Desiderio that the police patrols seem to be working, but also stressed that the city can’t afford to let up. “By all accounts from things I’ve seen and heard, things have gotten a lot better,” said Tony Dragoni, who lives on 74th Street. However, Dragoni also said that Sea Isle residents and city officials should not be ready “to do an end zone dance” just yet to celebrate victory. He told Desiderio and City Council about some of his friends who were frightened by groups of teens on the Promenade when they visited Sea Isle this summer. “We’re going to have a plan, and tell your friends that Sea Isle is the place to come to,” Desiderio assured Dragoni. “We’re going to have a real positive outlook as we move forward.” Allen Fisher, a resident of 55th Street, told Council that he has heard from some of his neighbors that teens have been sneaking into garages and stealing beer and other alcoholic beverages from refrigerators. “They’re not taking anything but alcohol,” Fisher said in an interview after the Council meeting. Tony Dragoni, who lives on 74th Street, tells City Council that the stepped-up police patrols seem to be working. Jim DiFranco, who lives at 38th Street and Landis Avenue, said he has seen some “extremely disturbing” behavior this summer by troublemakers. To protect his home, DiFranco said he recently spent more than $1,000 to install “No Trespassing” signs, more lights and other security measures. Despite his frustration with rowdy behavior, DiFranco told City Council that he would like to be part of community efforts to help police and city officials solve the problems. Desiderio said one way that residents can help out is to immediately call police if they see or hear anything that they think is suspicious. “Don’t waste time on social media – call the police,” he said.