Pennacchio, Singer Blast Dems for Inaction on Bill to Deter Shore Violence

MORRIS COUNTY — Senators Joe Pennacchio (R-26) and Bob Singer (R-30) released the following statements regarding the latest string of violence at the Jersey Shore this past Memorial Day Weekend and blasted Trenton Democrats for failing to advance legislation that would strengthen laws and help prevent similar violent outbreaks.

“What happened at the Shore over Memorial Day weekend was exactly what we warned about a year ago when we introduced legislation to address this kind of lawlessness,” said Sen. Pennacchio. “This wasn’t partying, it was violence, chaos, and a total breakdown of order. We gave Trenton a roadmap to prevent this, and they ignored it. Now families are frightened, businesses are on edge, and our law enforcement is stretched thin. The consequences of inaction are playing out in real time. It’s not enough to talk tough after the fact; we need real action, and we needed it yesterday.”

“We’ve been sounding the alarm for over a year, but Trenton Democrats refused to listen. Now, here we are,” said Sen. Singer. “Our Shore economy is too valuable to gamble with, and the kind of violence we saw this past weekend is exactly what drives families away. We introduced a bill to give local governments and law enforcement the tools they need to prevent this kind of disruption, and it sat untouched. Tourism is a billion-dollar industry in New Jersey, and if we lose visitors’ trust, we lose the summer. We must seriously protect our coastal communities before it’s too late.”

Sens. Pennacchio and Singer are sponsors of S-399, which would expand the categories of a riot, enhance penalties for certain crimes committed during a riot, create new crimes of mob intimidation and cyber-intimidation by publication, and establish that a municipality must permit law enforcement to respond appropriately.

They introduced the legislation (S-3992) during the 2020-2021 legislative session.