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Senate Committee advances bills to train police, create new 'inciting a public brawl' offenses after shore disturbances
Summary
The Senate Law & Public Safety Committee released companion bills S3506 and S3507 after testimony from Gloucester Township police about a June 1, 2024 incident in which officers faced large, fast‑organized crowds. Bills would expand training, state support and create intermediate criminal charges between disorderly conduct and rioting.
The New Jersey Senate Law and Public Safety Committee voted to release two companion bills aimed at giving police more tools and training to respond to rapidly organized, large gatherings that have overwhelmed local departments.
Senator Michael Moriarty, sponsor of S3506 and co‑sponsor of S3507, said the bills respond to “unfortunate incidents we had last summer” in which thousands of young people converged on community events and turned them violent. "These bills are designed to create some new statutes and give police departments some new tools to deal with these types of events," Moriarty said during the committee hearing.
Gloucester Township Police Chief David Harkins described a June 1, 2024 Gloucester Township Day event where officers saw an "influx of juveniles and young adults" that he estimated at "500 or more" and said confrontations began at about "08:40PM." Harkins recounted multiple fights, mutual‑aid calls and 11 arrests that night plus five later arrests from body‑camera review. "The officers who responded showed great restraint," he told the committee.
Sponsor testimony and committee discussion stressed two strands in the legislation: S3506 would direct the attorney general and state police to create training and provide resources to local departments for crowd management and social‑media monitoring; S3507 would create intermediate offenses, including a fourth‑degree crime for inciting a public brawl punishable by up to 18 months and up to $10,000 in fines and a disorderly‑person offense for concealing identity while committing a disturbance.
Senators asked procedural questions about summonses and juvenile court jurisdiction for out‑of‑town minors, and Harkins said juveniles would be required to appear in Camden County family court when petitioned. Lawmakers also discussed parental accountability and regional training needs for smaller agencies.
After brief amendments to clarify technical language and training scope, the committee approved the bills and released them from committee by unanimous recorded votes.
The measures now move to the next stage of Senate consideration; committee members said they expect further drafting and interagency talks — particularly with prosecutors and county family‑court administrators — before final votes.
