New Jersey’s Gloucester Township enacted an ordinance on July 28 that holds parents accountable for their children’s lawbreaking activities.
The parents could face fines of $2,000 and the possibility of 90 days behind bars if their children continually misbehave, NJ.com reported on Friday.
“The ordinance includes 28 offenses that could make caretakers liable. They range from felonies, loitering, breaking curfew and chronic truancy to immorality, habitual vagrancy, and knowingly associating with immoral people,” the article read.
The report said teenagers and juveniles in the area have been committing a variety of offenses. The town’s 2024 Gloucester Township Day was upended when over 500 minors were involved in a brawl that spilled over to a shopping plaza.
Police arrested nine teenagers among 11 others they took into custody. In addition, three officers were hurt as a result of the chaos.
“It’s happening all over. I think it was in Ocean City, there’s another part of Philadelphia that had to shut down their little fairs because of fighting going on. And it’s happening a lot nowadays, so it’s very scary,” a neighbor in Gloucester Township told ABC 6 after the community event went downhill.
Video footage shows a group of young people throwing objects at the front of businesses:
Officials postponed the event this year due to social media posts indicating chaos was going to erupt again.
Gloucester Township Police announced the July 28 ordinance in a social media post on Wednesday.
“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 ordinance takes effect immediately,” the agency said:
In Gloucester Township, New Jersey, parents could face fines or jail time if they fail to prevent their children from…
Posted by Gloucester Township Police on Thursday, August 7, 2025
When speaking on the issue, one woman told ABC 6 recently, “These are your children, had you governed them a certain way this ordinance wouldn’t be necessary. As a parent, I think it’s absolutely necessary.”
In 2021, several juveniles were arrested for vandalizing a baseball field in Gloucester Township, per CBS Philadelphia:
A reporter for the outlet said children with special needs also used the field.
