Possible Pop-Up Party In Point Beach Being 'Aggressively Monitored'

Point Pleasant NJ

24 May, 2022

6:44 PM

Description

POINT PLEASANT BEACH, NJ — Authorities in Point Pleasant Beach say they are actively investigating and aggressively monitoring social media posts about a potential pop-up party in the borough in mid-June. The announcement comes as Long Branch authorities continue to deal with the aftermath of a pop-up party that brought more than 5,000 teens and young adults to the city over the weekend, resulting in 15 arrests and the vandalism of a police car. Long Branch Mayor John Pallone said police have identified the people behind the social media posts that promoted the party, which led to a 9 p.m. curfew as authorities worked to break up the crowd and prompted many Pier Village businesses and restaurants to close early, fearing damage. Point Pleasant Beach has experienced a pop-up party in the past: in June 2020, hundreds of teens and young adults converged on the borough for a pop-up party, leaving mounds of garbage in their wake and resulting in several arrests. "The bottom line is that Point Pleasant Beach is not going to be like anyone's dumping ground," Mayor Paul Kanitra said at the time. Garbage and trash left on the beach was cleaned up by residents and employees in the wake of the party. Read more: Point Pleasant Beach Mayor: 'Town Treated Like Toilet' (UPDATE) "The Point Pleasant Beach Police Department is aware and actively monitoring the social media posts that are promoting a pop-up party in Point Pleasant Beach on Saturday 6/18/22," police said on the department's Facebook page. "This agency along with several other county and state agencies are actively investigating the sources of the social media posts and are attempting to verify details at this time." "We will continue to aggressively monitor and investigate the potential pop up party and will update when there are more details," Point Pleasant Beach police said. Long Branch officials said there is a second mass gathering planned for June 18-19 in the city. It's unclear whether this event and the Point Pleasant Beach event are connected or whether there is an attempt underway to change the potential site of the pop-up party. Long Branch officials said "Beach Linkup Part 2" is calling for people to meet on the "Long Branch beach Sunday, June 19. Time 12 p.m. - UNTIL. BYOLQ (bring your own liquor) and BYOW (bring your own weed). Music, eats, fun, dance battles, $1,000 twerk contest." State legislators, including Sen. Robert Singer of the 30th District, which includes part of Ocean County, are calling for legislation to impose stricter penalties on those who organize such events. State Sen. Vin Gopal (D-Long Branch) said he plans to introduce legislation specifically in response to Saturday night that will do the following: Increase the penalties for violent actors in non-permitted mass gatherings.Increase the penalties for anyone who threatens violence or destruction of property in a social media platform (so someone seen in a TikTok video smashing in the windows of a police car would face stricter penalties).Provide increased funding for police mobile surveillance towers.Give police more funding to monitor social media for such pop-up parties.With reporting by Carly Baldwin, Patch staff