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Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Daily Mail
The town rocked by youth violence where parents face jail time if their kids commit crime
Parents in a New Jersey township could be hit with fines or even jail time if their kids cause a public disturbance thanks to new rules brought in to curb antisocial behavior. Gloucester Township Council have adopted the new measure after a series of incidents involving 'unruly juveniles' ruining a town festival two years in a row. Last year the township's annual community day in June descended into chaos after around 500 people started causing disruptions, according to WPVI. Disruption ran on for two hours and resulted in the arrest of 10 juveniles aged between 13 and 17, along with two adults. Officers were reportedly spat on, cursed at and assaulted according to Police Chief David Harkins. This year the event was due to go ahead, but was postponed over threats of violence being made. Now new rules specify that parents of a minor who is found guilty of a first offense may be 'ordered to provide supervision of the minor'. Another offense could see the parent or legal guardian hit with a fine of $2,000, or face a jail sentence of 90 days, or both, the ordinance says. Speaking with ABC News, Chief Harkins emphasized that punishment isn't the primary goal with the new rules. He said: 'We're not looking to put anybody in jail. This is about warning parents and due process. 'We've gotten overwhelming support from our community. People recognize the need for parental responsibility.' Speaking on the youth violence, he added: 'I've never experienced anything like it in 30 years as a police officer the disrespect, the violent behavior that ruined a family event. 'We understand being a parent is a tough job. We're committed to giving help to those that need it. 'Many times interviewing the parents, they had no idea who their kids were with or what they were doing. That's got to change.' Harkins told the outlet that so far no parents have been charged since the new rules were brought in. Speaking with NewsNation, Mayor David Mayer said: 'We have a juvenile crisis in this country. This is not unique to Gloucester Township. 'It is symptomatic of a larger societal juvenile crisis. I'll tell you, I don't have all the answers. But one possible answer is to hold parents accountable for their children. 'We have to get parents' attention to make sure they're tracking their children, juveniles, in a proper way, and hold them responsible.' The outlet also spoke with parents who are outraged over the move and believe it has set a dangerous precedent. Alexandra Bougher with the group Moms for Liberty, told the outlet: 'Blaming parents for what a child does? They are their own person. 'Sure, the brain is not fully formed yet, but if they are getting the correct guidance, they should be making the right decisions, and they know the difference between right and wrong. 'And if they choose to do something wrong, that child should be held accountable for it, not the parent. 'I think if we start this, what does it open up? What else are we going to be at fault for? If a child gets in a car accident, is it my fault? I was at home.' Nicole Stouffer, founder of parental rights group 'The New Jersey Project', pointed to lax marijuana laws and changes in police policies. In a statement, the council said: 'By emphasizing parental accountability, the ordinance encourages guardians to be actively involved in guiding their children and preventing juvenile misconduct. 'This measure is part of the township's ongoing efforts to keep Gloucester Township safe and ensure it remains a community where residents and visitors can feel secure.'
5 days ago
Police chief explains why NJ town could punish parents for teens' misconduct
Parents in one New Jersey township could face fines or jail time if their children cause a "public disturbance," according to a new ordinance that went into effect last month. The Gloucester Township Council adopted the measure on July 28, following a series of incidents that included a major disruption at last year's township festival. "We've gotten overwhelming support from our community," Gloucester Township Police Chief David Harkins told ABC News in an exclusive interview. "People recognize the need for parental responsibility." The ordinance came after the township's annual community day in June 2024, which Harkins said "got ruined by unruly juveniles who were being dropped off from out of the area by rideshares." Attendees were awaiting a drone light show at a local park just before 9 p.m. when some 500 young people began causing disruptions, according to Philadelphia ABC affiliate station WPVI. The disruption continued for two hours and escalated to the point that officers were called in from surrounding town to assist, according to WPVI, which noted that police arrested 12 people, including 10 juveniles between ages 13 and 17. Officers were "being spit on, cursed at, assaulted," Harkins told ABC News. "I've never experienced anything like it in 30 years as a police officer – the disrespect, the violent behavior that ruined a family event." The incident led officials to cancel this year's Gloucester Township Day. The ordinance specifies that parents of a minor who's found guilty of a first offense may be "ordered to provide supervision of the minor." A second offense could result in the minor's parent or legal guardian facing a fine of up to $2,000, a jail sentence of up to 90 days, or both. When asked about concerns from critics who say jailing parents under the new ordinance could potentially separate them from their other children, Harkins emphasized that punishment isn't the primary goal. "We're not looking to put anybody in jail," he said. "This is about warning parents and due process." Police will provide an information sheet and warnings to parents whose children are taken into custody, Harkins said. The department also offers support services, he said, including a full-time social worker and parenting classes, to assist parents who may have difficulty parenting an unruly child. "We understand being a parent is a tough job," Harkins said. "We're committed to giving help to those that need it." No parents have been charged since the ordinance took effect, according to Harkins. He said the ultimate goal was to prevent youth from entering the juvenile justice system by ensuring parents stay involved in their children's activities. "Many times interviewing the parents, they had no idea who their kids were with or what they were doing," Harkins said. "That's got to change."
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Stargazers dazzled as spirals of light appear in night sky
Stargazers on the lookout for the Perseid meteor shower were treated to an extra nighttime spectacular on Tuesday night as spirals appeared in the sky along the East Coast. The unusual light show -- which appeared to show circling lights in the heavens -- was on display after multiple rocket launches. MORE: SpaceX loses another Starship in latest launch, with debris seen streaking across the sky Videos began circulating online in several states, including Maryland, New York, New Jersey, Tennessee, Illinois, Ohio and Nebraska, after 9 p.m. ET Tuesday, social media posts show. ABC Philadelphia station WPVI began receiving calls and messages from viewers around 10:30 p.m. to report the phenomenon, the station reported. The spiraling lights seemed to appear "out of nowhere," Blake Brown, who witnessed the dazzling display from Algonquin, Illinois, while watching for the meteor shower, told ABC News. MORE: Rare wave-shaped clouds hovering over Virginia skyline caught on camera The majority of the spiraling light sightings likely stemmed from the launch of Ariane 6, said Jonathan C. McDowell, an astrophysicist for the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. That rocket lifted off from the Guiana Space Centre at Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, at about 8:37 p.m. ET, according to Eumetsat, a European operational satellite agency for monitoring weather. Ariane 6, about 196-feet tall, has the ability to launch both heavy and light payloads for applications such as Earth observation, telecommunication, meteorology, science and navigation, according to the European Space Agency. The appearance of the spirals in the sky was likely the result of the upper stage of the rocket tumbling as it underwent a disposal rocket firing at the end of the launch, McDowell told ABC News. MORE: Falling space debris is increasingly threatening airplanes, researchers say The spiral light occurs when reflection from sunlight interacts with the frozen plume of fuel from the exhaust of rockets. "It's a nice, perfect spiral because it's way out in space with no air to distort the shape," McDowell said. Tuesday's launch, which brought a weather satellite to orbit, is the third-ever mission for the powerful rocket, according to Another rocket, the Vulcan Centaur Rocket, successfully lifted off from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 8:56 p.m. ET, according to the United Launch Alliance. The 202-foot rocket was carrying a pair of experimental navigation satellites on behalf of the United States Space Force's first-ever mission, according to "The Vulcan launched east and went to a high orbit, and was still coasting upward [without the rocket firing] when the spiral was seen," McDowell said. "If people in Florida saw something at 9:37, 9:45 pm ET, that could have been the Vulcan."
03-08-2025
- General
Whale dies after nearly capsizing boat off New Jersey's Barnegat Bay
A 20-foot-long Minke whale has died after it collided and nearly capsized a pleasure boat in New Jersey's Barnegat Bay on Saturday, an incident that knocked one boater overboard, officials said. The scary wildlife encounter unfolded in an area north of the Double Creek Channel in Barnegat Bay in Ocean County, officials said. "At approximately 3:40 p.m., a boater in the area reported that a vessel had struck the whale, causing the vessel to nearly capsize and a passenger to go overboard," according to a statement from the New jersey Marine Mammal Stranding Center (MMSC). The person who was knocked into the water was not injured, officials said. Kim Mancini of Lacey Township told ABC Philadelphia station WPVI that she witnessed the incident and recorded video of the distressed Minke whale coming up under the boat and nearly tipping it over. Mancini told WPVI that there appeared to be something visibly wrong with the mammal. "It was really in distress. That's when it would go under boats, it was a crazy experience," Mancini said. Mancini said it appeared the whale was trying desperately to get to deeper water. The Marine Mammal Stranding Center said that about 50 minutes before the accident, it received a call that a whale had been spotted in Barnegat Bay near the inlet. Staff from the center, the Coast Guard, New Jersey Marine Police and the New Jersey Fish and Wildlife Conservation officers responded to the area. Officials said that after the collision, the whale was spotted resting on a sandbar in shallow water. An MMSC employee and Fish and Wildlife officers approached the whale by boat but could only get within 30 yards of the mammal. Tidal conditions at the time prevented them from reaching the sandbar to examine the whale, officials said. The whale was later pronounced dead on the sandbar, according to MMSC. Officials said they will try again on Monday to move the whale with the help of Sea Tow, a boat towing company. MMSC said a necropsy will be preformed to determine an exact cause of death. Meanwhile, MMSC is advising boaters to keep minimum of 150 feet away from the whale carcass.
24-07-2025
- General
Bystanders, lifeguards hailed as heroes after rescuing 8 teens, 2 adults from boat crash
A team of bystanders and lifeguards in Avalon, New Jersey, are being hailed as heroes for helping to rescue 10 people following a sailing lesson gone wrong. According to Avalon Yacht Club, eight teenagers and two sailing instructors were out on a sailboat, with sails not raised, off the coast of Avalon on Wednesday. Avalon Yacht Club General Manager Joe Mendez told Philadelphia ABC station WPVI the instructors were using the engine when it unexpectedly stopped working and dangerous weather conditions contributed to the boat crashing into a jetty. The bystanders and lifeguards jumped into action and managed to pull all 10 people to shore in a rescue caught on camera. About 40 lifeguards and several agencies responded at the time. "We had several assets out there: our ski, lifeboats, paddle boards," Avalon Beach Patrol Chief Matt Wolf told WPVI. "There's not too many people or organizations who could pull off a rescue like that. Some of those lifeguards that were down there today went above and beyond," Wolf added. Wolf said Townsends Inlet is considered one of the most dangerous bodies of water on the East Coast. "I've been working for 28 years. That's probably the most wild rescue that I ever personally witnessed," Wolf said. The eight teens and the two instructors were all wearing lifejackets but were forced to abandon the boat -- named "What Exit" -- and escape into the water. No one was reported hurt after the incident. "The boat didn't fare so well, but that's OK. Property can be replaced, people can't," Mendez said. Avalon Yacht Club says it is meeting this weekend to investigate what happened and change any protocols if necessary.
