6 pop-up parties already targeting Seaside Heights for Memorial Day weekend

☀️Seaside Heights police are preparing for viral pop-up parties promoted online

☀️A mysterious 7-ton green buoy on the beach since April could finally be removed

☀️Extra officers, FBI support and drone teams will help keep Seaside Heights safe

SEASIDE HEIGHTS — Police here are so worried about potential Memorial Day weekend chaos that they’ve asked State Police to literally send in the cavalry.

Police Chief Tommy Boyd says he has requested mounted troopers, extra officers, FBI support, Homeland Security agents, and drone teams as the Shore town braces for massive holiday crowds. They're also worried about a wave of viral “pop-up parties” spreading online ahead of the unofficial start of summer.

For families heading to the Jersey Shore for the holiday and the rest of the season, officials say the goal is to keep the weekend from turning into the kind of disorder that recently forced carnival shutdowns and sparked police crackdowns in other New Jersey towns.

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Seaside Heights cracking down on viral pop-up parties

Police say at least six pop-up parties are already being promoted on TikTok and Instagram ahead of Memorial Day weekend.

The concern comes after large teen gatherings recently caused problems at events in Maple Shade and Medford, raising fears that Shore towns could face similar scenes once schools let out and warm weather hits.

Boyd said organizers are now getting cease-and-desist letters from the township attorney.

"Then we just charge them and we'll go from there. We've notified the [Ocena County] Prosecutor's Office; they're involved with helping us find these parties," Boyd told New Jersey 101.5.

Boyd says that the parties are just a "money maker" for the organizers who are looking for clicks and "all the social media baloney."

Extra cops, drones, FBI — and maybe horses

Boyd said police staffing will jump by about 25% for the holiday weekend. The heavy police presence is aimed at reassuring families and tourists planning to spend the long weekend at the Shore.

That includes help from neighboring police departments, the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office drone team, the FBI, Homeland Security, and potentially mounted State Police patrols — although that may not happen in time.

“You make a lot of friends in 42 years in law enforcement,” Boyd said about the requests for help he's put in.

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Giant green buoy still sitting on Seaside beach

There’s also another unusual Memorial Day concern. A  giant 7-ton green buoy that washed ashore in April has become an accidental tourist attraction.

Boyd said the Coast Guard is expected to remove it before the holiday rush, either by helicopter or with a large buoy tender out of Cape May.

Until then, beachgoers have been walking right up to the massive object sitting in the sand.

Memorial Day beach forecast looks promising

Despite the security concerns, the weather forecast could be good news for anyone planning a Shore getaway.

New Jersey 101.5 Chief Meteorologist Dan Zarrow said conditions currently look favorable for most of Memorial Day weekend.

“I think we are set up nicely for the bulk of the Memorial Day Weekend,” Zarrow said.

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