Gloucester Township Day postponed indefinitely: Mayor weighs in
Gloucester Township mayor addresses Township Day decision
Gloucester Township Mayor David Mayer addresses the decision to postpone Township Day indefinitely due to previous chaos and threatening social media posts.
GLOUCESTER TWP., N.J. - Officials in Gloucester Township made the disappointing announcement Tuesday afternoon that the town's popular 40-year-old summer carnival planned for June 7th has been postponed indefinitely due to credible online threats.
The threats came after the 2024 event where hundreds of rowdy teens took over Veteran’s Park and hundreds of officers responded.
What we know:
Officials say the safety and well-being of its residents, families, and visitors remain their top priority.
Threats of firearms and chaos were among some of the social media posts threatening a decades-old community tradition in Gloucester Township.
As of Tuesday night, that popular event is officially off.
"In light of the experience of last year’s Gloucester Township Day and our readership and analysis, we cannot provide a venue to allow this type of behavior to repeat itself this year," said Chief David Harkins of the Gloucester Township Police.
The Gloucester Township Police Chief announced the disappointing news that the town's popular 40-year-old summer carnival planned for June 7 has been postponed indefinitely due to credible online threats.
The threats followed last year's event, where hundreds of rowdy teens took over Veteran’s Park, prompting a response from hundreds of officers.
Over 500 'unruly' juveniles spark violent fights at community event in South Jersey: police
Another family event descended into chaos when police say crowds instigated numerous fights that ended with nearly a dozen arrests of juveniles as young as 13 years old.
More than a dozen teens were charged with disorderly conduct during the melee.
"A group of hundreds of unruly and unparented juveniles disrupted that nice gathering, turning it into chaos," said David Mayer, Mayor of Gloucester Township.
Officials say they didn’t want to postpone the event, but after seeing threats discussing gunfire and causing terror, they felt they had no choice.
"What happened after that posting is both alarming, as one post was circulated around the internet 20,000 times by what appears to be juveniles expressing their excitement about showing up and once again causing disruption and chaos," Mayer explained.
The event is also a major fundraiser for a township scholarship program for high school students going to college, meaning some kids won’t receive that money this year.
"Last year we raised approximately $30,000 for Gloucester Township Day, so you can imagine that represents a substantial majority of the money we raise," Mayer noted.
What's next:
New legislation in New Jersey that would enhance fines disorderly conduct and create new penalties for inciting public brawls is awaiting Governor Murphy’s signature.
The bill is sponsored by Sen. Paul Moriarty (D) of Gloucester.
Township officials say if signed into law they may reconsider their decision.
The Source: The information in this story is from the Gloucester Township police and mayor.