Overview
- The unanimously approved ordinance, effective early August, empowers the township to impose up to $2,000 in fines and 90 days’ jail for guardians whose children are repeatedly adjudicated for any of 28 listed offenses.
- Police Chief David Harkins says enforcement will be handled on a case-by-case basis with initial warnings and that the language was adapted from similar ordinances in other New Jersey municipalities.
- The measure responds to a post-pandemic surge in juvenile arrests—rising from 68 in 2020 to 133 in 2023—and a violent June 2024 brawl at the Township Day and Drone Show that led to the event’s cancellation this year.
- Supporters, including Mayor David Mayer and some local parents, argue the ordinance restores accountability, while advocacy groups warn it risks overreaching parental rights and disproportionately harming families.
- Enforcement guidelines are still being finalized by the Gloucester Township Police Department, which plans to track repeat juvenile court findings before triggering any parental penalties.