Mayor Jay Gillian May 22 hosted a town hall meeting, at the Ocean City Tabernacle, to inform people about New Jersey’s new laws legalizing recreational marijuana use. Police Chief Jay Prettyman and members of Ocean City Council also attended.
“We are anticipating an exceptionally busy summer in Ocean City, as the recovery from the Covid pandemic continues and people are anxious to return to normal, but now that New Jersey has eliminated sanctions for underage possession and use of marijuana and alcohol, the summer could feel very different,” Gillian stated.
“I’m joined here today by Chief Prettyman because there are strict guidelines on how the new laws can be enforced, and we’ll need the entire community’s support and help this summer to alert us to violations as they are happening, so we have another safe and enjoyable summer,” he continued.
Gillian outlined the topics to be addressed, including the laws themselves; juvenile justice reform, which is changing what is permissible by the police in their arrest and search activities; police liability, which, according to Gillian, has become more of a risk since “state lawmakers have criminalized the good-faith actions of police who may make honest mistakes by trying to investigate and comply with the new law;” and the tools the city plans to use this summer, including enforcement of existing disorderly conduct and noise ordinances and heightened police presence throughout the island, including more seasonal officers.