Brawl Bill Inspired By Gloucester Twp. Day Mayhem Becomes State Law

TRENTON, NJ — One year after the Gloucester Township Day mayhem, Gov. Phil Murphy signed a bill inspired by the chaos into law on Monday.

The measure, which criminalizes inciting a public brawl, was written a few weeks after hundreds of teens and young adults flooded Gloucester Township's family-friendly celebration, which erupted into fights in and around Veterans Park last June.

It wasn't the first or the last time that similar events plagued events in New Jersey.

State legislators representing New Jersey's 4th legislative district, which includes Gloucester Township, played a major role in crafting and promoting the bill that became law.

The law establishes a criminal offense for inciting a public brawl, making it a fourth-degree crime punishable by up to 18 months in prison and a maximum fine of $10,000.

Earlier this year, Gloucester Township Police Chief testified in favor of the measure at the Statehouse. He noted that the state's laws at the time didn't quite fit what happened at Gloucester Township Day, since many of the actions rose above disorderly conduct but didn't rise to criminal rioting.

About 20 people, mostly juveniles, were arrested in connection with the Gloucester Township Day mayhem last June.

Gloucester Township Day is typically the township's largest annual gathering. The carnival-like event raises scholarship money for local students.

Originally, the township planned to end this year's event during the daytime in hopes to prevent a repeat of the nighttime chaos. However, the township later decided to effectively cancel the upcoming Gloucester Township Day because of credible threats of violence, including armed violence, on social media, officials said.

The event had been scheduled for June 7.

"It gives us no pleasure to come up with this," Harkins said in April of the decision. "However, it would be negligent to continue on and have this event and have this kind of violence re-occur."

Similar chaos has plagued family-friendly gatherings in the region, including a carnival a few weeks ago in Bellmawr where a vehicle struck a child and an elderly woman was knocked over the head.

During Memorial Day Weekend, fights in Seaside Heights led to nearly 90 arrests and a shutdown of the boardwalk.

Assembly Member Dan Hutchison (NJ-4) said the Seaside Heights incident highlighted the urgency of the new law.

"What we saw over Memorial Day weekend was dangerous, disruptive and unacceptable," said Hutchison, a former Gloucester Township Council member. "This law makes it clear that if you incite a public brawl, you will be held accountable. We need to give law enforcement the tools to stop this kind of chaos before someone gets seriously hurt, or worse."