Latest news with #DroneShow
Newsweek
a day ago
- Newsweek
Parents Could Be Punished in New Jersey if Children Commit These 28 Crimes
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. In Gloucester Township, New Jersey, a new ordinance holds parents legally accountable for their children's actions. Passed on July 28, 2025, police shared the news about the ordinance over social media on Thursday. The "Minors and Parent Responsibility" law stipulates that parents or guardians may face fines up to $2,000 or jail time up to 90 days if their child commits any of 28 specified offenses. Newsweek has contacted the mayor of Gloucester Township for comment via email. Why It Matters Gloucester Township is among the first larger municipalities to implement such a measure. The ordinance encompasses a wide range of offenses, including felonies, disorderly conduct, loitering, curfew violations, chronic truancy, vandalism, drug-related activities, and associating with individuals involved in criminal behavior. If a minor is repeatedly found guilty in juvenile court, their parent or guardian may be held responsible. A pair of handcuffs are seen in this stock image. A pair of handcuffs are seen in this stock image. Romain Fellens/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images What To Know The law was enacted following a series of incidents involving juvenile disturbances. Notably, during the 2024 Gloucester Township Day and Drone Show, a large group of minors caused significant disruptions, leading to 11 arrests and injuries to three police officers. The ordinance aims to address such issues by promoting parental oversight and accountability. The enforcement of the ordinance will be case-specific, with warnings typically issued before penalties are applied. The measure has garnered both support and criticism from the community. Some residents believe it will encourage better supervision of minors, while others express concerns about its fairness and potential overreach. There are 28 offenses, covering everything from serious felonies to minor violations, that can hold parents, legal guardians, or other caregivers of children under 18 legally responsible if their child commits them. Full list of offenses
New York Post
6 days ago
- New York Post
NJ parents outraged over new law that could put them in prison for their kid's bad behavior: ‘Snake eating its tail'
The kids aren't alright — and their parents won't be, either! Moms and dads in a New Jersey suburb can be tossed in prison and fined for their badly behaving children — under a bonkers new ordinance that some say strips parents of their rights and potentially sets a 'dangerous precedent.' The new law in Gloucester Township, passed in late July, is called 'Minors and Parent Responsibility' and stipulates that parents will be held 'accountable for public disturbances caused by' their child, and could go to jail for three months if their kids are found guilty of multiple offenses. Advertisement 'Parents are feeling pretty outraged,' Alex Bougher, chair of the Bergen County chapter of parents' rights group Moms for Liberty, told The Post Tuesday. 'They're getting attacked from every angle here.' 3 Rowdy teens brawled and destroyed property at the 2024 Gloucester Township Day and Drone Show. Debbie Rayner The ordinance is the result of a massive brawl that broke out last year among a throng of 500 minors at the Gloucester Township Day and Drone Show, according to Eleven people — including nine teens — were arrested. Three officers were also injured. The juvenile offenses that fall under the new law are sweeping — there are 28 in total — with 'being a disorderly person,' 'immorality,' 'destruction of playground equipment' and 'loitering' joining the likes of assault, mugging, drunkenness and drug dealing. Advertisement 'If a child is repeatedly found guilty in juvenile court, their caretaker could face up to 90 days in prison and/or a fine of up to $2,000,' Gloucester Township Police said in a recent release clarifying the law. 3 The Drone Show brawl was just the last incident of teens causing chaos in New Jersey in recent months. Debbie Rayner Police Chief David Harkins told that the law consisted of 'general legal language' and that parents would receive a warning first for the kids' bad behavior. Advertisement 'Our ordinance was actually sampled from other towns,' Harkins said, referring to the Jersey Shore's Wildwood, which has also seen a spate of crazy teen behavior. 'We're not necessarily the first, but we're probably the first bigger town to adopt it.' Gloucester Township is located just eight miles from Philadelphia and has a population of nearly 66,900. The drastic move has been supported by Mayor David Mayer. 'We have to hold parents responsible,' he told the Courier Post. Advertisement 3 The new law that aims to put parents behind bars if their kids become repeat offenders was passed in response to the 2024 Drone Show brawl. Debbie Rayner Bougher, a mother of three herself, said many parents she's spoken with feel the law is an overstep — and an alarming move toward stripping away parents' right to make choices for their own children. 'It's a very dangerous precedent. Like, this should not be. This should not be,' she said, adding that the new law was also a 'contradiction' of policies already in place in the state. Bougher cited New Jersey public schools' Policy 5756, a recent guidance which advises teachers not to tell parents if their kids begin identifying as a different gender in the classroom — and to create a 'confidential file' of school records to keep hidden from parents. Policy 5756 is intended to protect transgender students who might be endangered by parents who don't agree with their identity choice, but Bougher and others see it as an infringement on parents' freedoms to raise their kids — and a policy that also makes the 'Minors and Parent Responsibility' illogical. 'Parents are basically being told that they don't have rights as parents to know what's going on with their children,' she said, 'but then on the other side, it's 'How could you not know what was going on with your children? How come you didn't step in?'' 'If you're going to block the parents, how can you blame the parents?' she added. Nicole Stouffer, one of the organizers of parents' rights group the New Jersey Project, says the new ordinance on its face doesn't make sense. Advertisement 'A 90-day jail sentence is extreme — for parents who maybe have other kids, maybe they have a problem kid,' she said. 'Now this person can't pay their bills and their mortgage or take care of their children? And they're going to go to jail because they have one child that's out of control?' 'It's kind of like a snake eating its tail — nothing is going to get fixed,' Stouffer added. Stouffer thinks the problem lies in post-pandemic movements to roll back policing — and that cops need to be allowed to intervene and diffuse kids before situations get out of hand. 'We have eliminated powers for the police to maybe do their job,' she said. 'It's just an extreme response to something that's not being taken care of by the state.'
New York Post
09-08-2025
- New York Post
New Jersey parents could face jail time under town's ordinance targeting children's unruly behavior
Advertisement Under a new ordinance in a New Jersey town, parents can be fined and even charged for their children's unruly behavior. The Township of Gloucester Minors and Parents Responsibility Ordinance stipulates consequences, including jail time, for parents and guardians who 'fail to prevent their children from breaking the law,' according to a news release from police. The ordinance was passed by the Township Council July 28 and was introduced after incidents of public disturbance involving kids at events like last year's Gloucester Township Day and Drone Show. During that event, a large brawl involving teens broke out, and 11 people were arrested, including nine teenagers, according to Advertisement The Township of Gloucester Minors and Parents' Responsibility Ordinance stipulates consequences, including jail time, for parents and guardians who 'fail to prevent their children from breaking the law.' Gloucester Township Police Three police officers were also injured during the melee. The event was postponed this year, the outlet reported, because social media posts suggested similar behavior was planned. The ordinance includes 28 different offenses that range from felonies to minor infractions such as loitering, breaking curfew or chronic truancy. Advertisement The Gloucester Township Police Department is located at the township municipal building. Google Maps 'If a child is repeatedly found guilty in juvenile court, their caretaker could face up to 90 days in prison and/or a fine of up to $2,000,' the department said. Guardians will be issued a warning before a citation, Gloucester Township Police Chief David Harkins said, according to 'Our ordinance was actually sampled from other towns,' he explained. 'We're not necessarily the first, but we're probably the first bigger town to adopt it.' Advertisement Fox News Digital has reached out to the Gloucester Township Police Department for comment. Gloucester Township is about 15 miles from Philadelphia.
