Cape May Makes Curfew Changes to Keep the Peace at Night

The City of Cape May has taken a page from other South Jersey Shore towns and enacted emergency measures intended to keep the peace at night on the beach and Promenade, especially concerning the behavior of juveniles.

Cape May City Council Adopts Emergency Restrictions

According to The Press of Atlantic City, the Cape May City Council voted unanimously on Thursday to adopt emergency safety actions at the request of the police.

Going into effect immediately, the juvenile curfew has been moved up from 10:30 pm to 6 am for unaccompanied juveniles on city streets or other public places.

The previous curfew went into effect at midnight from May 1 through Sept. 30 and at 11 pm the rest of the year.

Unaccompanied juveniles are now banned from beaches, beachfront areas, and access ways between 8 pm and 6 am, according to this emergency ordinance.

Everyone -- juveniles and adults -- is prohibited from carrying or wearing backpacks after 8 pm on the beach, bayfront, or on the Promenade.

Under this new ordinance, police will issue two warnings to people violating that provision, and that failure to comply would be considered a "breach of the peace."

The ordinance also authorizes police to act when individuals block pedestrian traffic on the Promenade.

Exceptions to the New Ordinance

Curfew exceptions will be made for juveniles working or traveling to or from work and for juveniles who are in the company of their parents or legal guardians.

What Precipitated These New Restrictions?

The Cape May Police told The Press of Atlantic City that they asked for these additional restrictions after a large group of juveniles gathered on the beach and then the Promenade one night in July, blocking pedestrian traffic, taking part in an assault, and someone vomiting on the Promenade.

Police Chief Dekon Fashaw said the decision also came from years of following the practices of other police departments' handling of juveniles around the country and in other South Jersey towns.

This new Cape May ordinance follows several of the rules that Ocean City instituted in 2023, following a rowdy holiday weekend disturbance by juveniles.