Brawl Bill Inspired By Gloucester Township Day Mayhem Moves Forward

GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, NJ — An effort to prevent repeats of the Gloucester Township Day mayhem showed signs of life Monday in the State Legislature.

A State Assembly committee approved a bill that would criminalize inciting a public brawl. The measure was inspired by Gloucester Township Day last June, when hundreds of people got into fights at the family-friendly event.

A few weeks later, Assembly Member Dan Hutchison introduced a bill that would establish incitement of a public brawl as a criminal offense. The bill stood dormant in the assembly for more than half a year. But on Monday, the Assembly's Public Safety Committee voted 9-0 to advance the measure.

The Gloucester Township Day chaos mirrored the chaos that has disrupted several community gatherings in New Jersey in recent years. Late in the event, hundreds of people — primarily teens — poured into Veterans Park, getting into fights that spilled into a nearby shopping center. More than a dozen people were arrested that night, while additional arrests were made in the subsequent weeks.

In recent months, similar issues erupted at family-friendly events in Pennsauken and Collingswood.

Many of the incidents were organized as "pop-up parties," where individuals encourage disorderly behavior at a set location through social media.

Hutchison hopes his bill will prevent repeats of the Gloucester Township Day chaos.

"Though the dust has settled, and many may have already forgotten about the events that took place that night, our message remains clear: public safety is paramount, and reckless actions that endanger our communities will not be tolerated," said Hutchison, a former Gloucester Township council member.

The bill has been referred to the assembly's Appropriations Committee. It will ultimately need to pass full votes from the assembly and State Senate before Gov. Phil Murphy can sign it into law.

If passed, inciting a public brawl at a public gathering would be a fourth-degree crime, punishable by up to 18 months in prison and/or maximum fine of $10,000.

Previously, much of that behavior fell under disorderly conduct, which carries lesser penalties.

Certain first-time violators may qualify for pretrial intervention, where offenders can get their charges dismissed by completing certain orders such as community service.

Hutchison, a Democrat, represents New Jersey's 4th legislative district, which includes Gloucester Township.