🚔 Summer curfew going into effect this weekend in Toms River

🚔 The curfew is for those 17 and younger specifically in North Beach and Ortley Beach

🚔 The goal of reinstating this summer curfew in Toms River


For the fourth summer in a row, the township of Toms River and the Toms River Police Department are implementing a curfew for minors for the season along the barrier island.

The curfew reinstatement announcement from Mayor Maurice "Mo" Hill and Police Chief Mitch Little -- who is also the Toms River OEM Coordinator -- on Wednesday comes on the eve of the busiest time of the year.

It's specifically aimed at cubing rowdy behavior in the North Beach and Ortley Beach communities.

The beach in the Ortley Beach section of Toms River. (Vin Ebenau, Townsquare Media NJ)
The beach in the Ortley Beach section of Toms River. (Vin Ebenau, Townsquare Media NJ)
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Mayor Hill and Chief Little said this curfew is for those 17-years old and younger and it prevents unaccompanied teens from being on the streets of these beachfront communities between 10:00 pm and 5:00 am from this Friday through Tuesday September 5.

In wake of unauthorized pop-up parties and large gatherings up and down the Jersey Shore, Toms River is one of the many communities in Monmouth and Ocean County putting their foot down to prevent any such chaos this summer.

“We don’t want to have a repeat of the incidences we had during previous summer seasons," Mayor Hill said in a written statement. “Last year, before we implemented the curfew, we had a few “pop-up parties” occur with large crowds of young people disturbing the peace in Ortley Beach.  We are looking to prevent that from happening again this year.”

(Photo: Vin Ebenau, Townsquare Media NJ)
(Photo: Vin Ebenau, Townsquare Media NJ)
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"Incidents involving groups of juveniles strained police resources, disrupted businesses, lawful activities and residents and visitors trying to enjoy our beautiful resort area,” Chief Little said in a written statement.

The curfew is something Toms River officials put into place in 2020, 2021, and again last summer after an inauspicious beginning.

Chief Little spoke to Townsquare Media in June of 2022 and explained some of what was going on last summer.

"We do have a little bit of a problem on the north end with the Wawa where people hang out, normally, longer than they should and we get a lot of complaints up there, so we're constantly up there trying to get rid of people who are loitering and hanging out making all kinds of noise and things like that. Everybody wants us to put a curfew in," Chief Little previously said.

(Photo Courtesy: Toms River Police Department)
(Photo Courtesy: Toms River Police Department)
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For the summer 2023 curfew, there are some exceptions Chief Little and Mayor Hill explained.

Among them, minors can be out but have to be accompanied by a parent, legal guardian or adult caretaker as well as those out running errands at the direction of an adult, minors traveling to and from their jobs as well as those involved in activities protected by the 1st amendment.

Anyone found to be in violation of the curfew, will be given two warnings and then would be detained after that and their parent, guardian, or adult caretaker would be contacted.

If there are any adults that allow or encourage minors to be out there and intentionally violate the curfew, they may face fines and get a summons.

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