A juvenile curfew that has been in effect this summer will add an extra hour for the remainder of the season.
Toms River Mayor Maurice “Mo” Hill said an order was signed by the police chief Wednesday that extended the curfew one hour, to begin at 10 p.m. each night. Previously, the curfew ran from 11 p.m. through 5 a.m. The addition of the extra hour, Hill said, was due to the fact that other island communities have a curfew that begins at 10 p.m.
Indeed, Lavallette enacted its own curfew this summer which begins at 10 p.m. each night. Lavallette is bordered by Toms River to its north and south.
Following an outcry from residents of several sections of the barrier island under the jurisdiction of Toms River over groups of hundreds of intoxicated teenagers gathering early in the season, the township re-implemented the youth curfew and expanded it to encompass all its island neighborhoods. There have been numerous incidents involving intoxicated and disorderly teens this season, including a small riot July 4 weekend. Police officers were targeted with taunts and objects being thrown at them, the department said, linking the brazen nature of the incidents to controversial new state laws that restrict how officers can interact with juveniles.