Borough police address unruly acts of juveniles
Monmouth Beach could enforce curfew ordinance to curb behavior of youth

MONMOUTH BEACH - The borough chief of police said he is seeking help from parents in the borough to control the disruptive behavior of juveniles.

If reports of vandalism and other unruly acts of conduct generated from groups of juveniles in the borough continue, a curfew may be the answer, Police Chief Richard A. White said.

"We need the parents' help at this point," White said in a press release. "They need to let their children know that certain behavior is not acceptable and will not be tolerated.

"If we cannot get a handle on the problems, then maybe a curfew is the answer here," he said.

The Monmouth Beach Police Department has been receiving complaints from many residents and business owners requesting assistance with large groups of juveniles, according to a press release from White.

The groups of juveniles have been reported to be loitering in areas and being loud and disruptive. The issues have been addressed in public areas, such as parks and residential areas, with the assistance of additional patrols by special officers, according to the press release.

"There have been reports of vandalism, and these matters were resolved," White said in the release. "These reports have been minimal."

The business owners have complained about the disrespectful behavior of juveniles in the area, which includes leaving bicycles in front of stores so that customers are unable to access the business, according to the release.

"The groups of juveniles hanging out are being generally disruptive," White said.

The police department has addressed the issue of juveniles in the parks with the assistance of a borough ordinance, which states that no one is allowed in the park after dusk, according to the release.

There are also noise ordinances in the borough, which allow officers to enforce rules between the hours of 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., during which a summons can be issued to the violator, according to the release.

There is no ordinance or law that addresses large groups of juveniles "hanging out" at inconvenient hours in business locations after business hours, according to the press release, which states that such an ordinance would alleviate disruptive behavior and address quality-of-life issues by persons living in the area.

A group of concerned parents have met with members of the police department and voiced concerns that their children would be unfairly targeted by a curfew ordinance in the borough.

According to the release, it is the general feeling from the parents that the children will be taken into custody for being out after the curfew hour while riding their bikes home from a friend's house or walking home.

The concern is that the children would then have a juvenile record, according to the release.

"This group has voiced its concern that children who are residents of Monmouth Beach are being targeted because of many of the juveniles hanging out who are from other municipalities," White said.

The business management has been notified that they need to address the bicycle issue with bike racks around stores frequented by juveniles and the area needs to have better lighting, according to the press release.

"Officers have been and will continue to enforce any violation of any ordinance or state law witnessed by them," White said.

"While some believe there should be a curfew to address the issue, there are some who feel it is unnecessary or it will be unfairly enforced," he said.

White included an information sheet with the press release, explaining the borough's policy when dealing with juveniles as well as the police department's Stationhouse Adjustment program, which is a way to handle juvenile offenders without the offense going on the juvenile's record.

Stationhouse Adjustment is an alternative method that law enforcement agencies may use to handle first-time juvenile offenders who have committed minor juvenile delinquency offenses, according to the press release.

The intent of the program is to provide for the immediate consequences by avoiding the "stigma" of a formal juvenile delinquency record, according to the release.

There are two types of warnings used by police in handling juvenile offenders, including the curbside warning and the Stationhouse Adjustment.

The curbside warning is a verbal warning used for minor offenses where there is no victim and the juvenile is close to home, according to the release.

When police use the Stationhouse Adjustment, parents are contacted and the juveniles are transported to police headquarters.

Police consider several factors when determining a Stationhouse Adjustment, including the age of the offender, previous record of offender and cooperation and attitude of all parties involved, according to the release.

"Younger offenders, particularly those who may be less able to understand the consequences of their actions, may be more appropriate for Stationhouse Adjustments; however, no juvenile offender is automatically excluded due to age," the release states.

It continues, "Juveniles with a prior serious offense or more than two minor adjustments should ordinarily not receive a Stationhouse Adjustment."

Certain offenses are not subject to Stationhouse Adjustments and would result in a juvenile delinquency complaint, according to the release.

Those offenses include anything involving a controlled dangerous substance, bias offenses, sexual offenses, offenses resulting in serious bodily injury, third-degree offenses, and if there are other pending charges or the juvenile is currently on probation, parole, or other court-ordered disposition, according to the release.