Gloucester Twp. Day To End Early, Following Last Year's Nighttime Brawls

TRENTON, NJ — In an effort to prevent a repeat of last year's Gloucester Township Day mayhem, the annual event won't have any nighttime activities this year.

Police Chief David Harkins mentioned the measure last week, when he testified at the State House to support legislation designed to prevent repeats of the chaos that has plagued local gatherings around the region.

Gloucester Township Day is the township's biggest event of the year, raising money for scholarships through family-friendly fun each June. During last year's event, hundreds of people — primarily teens — poured in that night and got into large-scale brawls.

The annual gathering traditionally ends with a nighttime spectacle. Last year, it was a drone show in lieu of the usual fireworks.

About an hour before the scheduled drone show, hundreds of juveniles were dropped off near the festivities at Veterans Park. They began fighting soon after, Harkins said.

The chaos was largely organized on social media "for the purpose of creating trouble and to fight groups they didn't get along with, who were also using social media to target our event," Harkins said.

Gloucester Township Day was scheduled to end at 10 p.m. that night. But it ended a bit earlier so police could manage the crowds.

This year, Gloucester Township Day will end at 6 p.m. — well before dusk at that time of year.

"Our mayor (David Mayer) agrees with my recommendation, that it would be irresponsible to put ourselves in this position again," Harkins said. "It's a shame, because these types of events are hallmarks of our communities."

Other family-friendly gatherings have been hit by "flash mobs" — unsanctioned pop-up parties that are typically organized at social media that compromise public safety. In recent months, similar events unfolded in Pennsauken and Collingswood.

Harkins testified during the State Senate's Law and Public Safety Committee meeting on Feb. 13. He spoke in favor of two bills that were partially inspired by the Gloucester Township Day mayhem.

One measure would criminalize public brawling, giving flash mob participants stiffer penalties than the typical charge of disorderly conduct for such behavior. Another bill would mandate the state attorney general to establish crowd-management training and additional resources for police departments to handle large gatherings.

The committee voted unanimously in favor of both bills, which advanced them to the State Senate's budget committee to assess financial considerations.

The State Assembly's Public Safety Committee voted in favor of similar measures last month.

Harkins said that criminalizing public brawling would close a legal loophole, since many of the actions rose above disorderly conduct.

Eleven people were arrested during the Gloucester Township Day mayhem — two men and nine juveniles. Police arrested five others after examining body-camera footage.

Three officers and 2 to 4 civilians sustained minor injuries that night, Harkins said.

"What happened at Gloucester Township Day was unlike anything I've experienced in 30 years as a police officer," he said.

Gloucester Township Day will run from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. June 7 at Veterans Park, with a June 8 rain date.