Wildwood Police Arrest Pennsylvania Teen After Planned Boardwalk ‘Takeover’
The Wildwood Police Department said in a press release that officers prevented a planned social media “takeover” event from taking place on the Boardwalk over the Fourth of July weekend, resulting in the arrest of a 19-year-old Pennsylvania man.
“Takeover” events are typically organized through social media and involve large groups of people gathering without permits in public spaces. While some participants simply attend to socialize, these events have increasingly been associated with disruptive behavior, including fights, vandalism, trespassing, and other criminal activity.
Wildwood Police Arrest Pennsylvania Teen After Planned Boardwalk ‘Takeover’
Shore towns throughout New Jersey have increased police presence at these gatherings in recent years after several have escalated into public safety incidents.
This summer, the police have been cracking down on bad behavior and have put a 10 PM curfew on the boardwalk to prevent more bad behavior.
According to police, detectives were notified on Saturday, July 4, by NJ Transit Police about a social media post promoting an unsanctioned “takeover” event that was expected to occur on the Wildwood Boardwalk.
Also See: How South Jersey’s Beach Towns Got Their Names
Police said detectives, along with personnel from the New Jersey State Police Regional Operations Intelligence Center (ROIC), spent several hours attempting to identify the event organizer and have the post removed from social media. Those efforts were unsuccessful.
As a precaution, the Wildwood Police Department deployed additional officers to the area where the gathering was expected to take place. Some nearby business owners also removed equipment from outside their businesses to prevent potential damage if a large crowd arrived.
Throughout the evening, officers made contact with several small groups in the targeted area and asked them to move along.
During the investigation, detectives developed information that led them to a suspected organizer. Officers assigned to the Boardwalk were provided with a photograph of the individual.
At approximately 6:08 p.m., officers assigned to the department’s bike unit encountered a man matching the description in the 2600 block of the Boardwalk.
Police arrested Stephen Kerrin, 19, of Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, charging him with disturbance at a public gathering under New Jersey law.
“I could not be prouder of the hard work of our entire department and their continued professional efforts to stop these ‘takeover’ events from occurring,” Wildwood Police Chief Joseph Murphy said in a statement on facebook.
Murphy also thanked the NJ Transit Police, New Jersey State Police, Cape May County Sheriff’s Office, and the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office for assisting with the investigation.
Police said Kerrin was processed on a summons complaint and released in accordance with New Jersey’s Criminal Justice Reform policies.