Seaside Heights prepares for Memorial Day

Seaside Heights officials are heading into Memorial Day weekend with a larger police presence, traffic controls and a plan to move crowds faster if the boardwalk begins to clog. Mayor Tony Vaz said the borough is trying to avoid a repeat of the disorder that marked the 2025 holiday weekend, when roughly 100,000 people came into town. Patch reported that more than 80 adults and juveniles were arrested over that weekend, and News 12 reported that three stabbings were part of the 2025 response. Vaz told News 12 this month that he has asked for more officers, K-9 units and even New Jersey State Police horses. ### What happened last Memorial Day that changed the town’s approach? Memorial Day weekend in 2025 ended with the Seaside Heights boardwalk shut down for several hours early Monday morning after fights and stabbings drew police intervention, according to Patch. Seaside Heights police said about 100,000 visitors came to the borough over the weekend. Patch reported on May 26, 2025 that police made 73 arrests from 6 a.m. Friday to 6 a.m. Monday — 52 adults and 21 juveniles. A follow-up Patch report the next day said 14 more arrests on Monday brought the weekend total to nearly 90. News 12 reported on May 13 that Vaz described the 2025 crowds as “clustered together” in groups of “hundreds” and “maybe thousands.” He said the borough would not allow a repeat. (patch.com) ### What are officials adding for Memorial Day 2026? News 12 reported that Seaside Heights plans to use more uniformed officers, K-9 units and New Jersey State Police horses during the holiday weekend. (patch.com) Vaz said the goal is to keep people moving and prevent large groups from forming on the boardwalk. (longisland.news12.com) NJ 101.5 also reported on May 15 that police were preparing for social-media-promoted pop-up parties and said extra officers, FBI support and drone teams would be part of the weekend security plan. That report said at least six pop-up parties were already being promoted on TikTok and Instagram ahead of the weekend. ### Which rules are already on the books? Seaside Heights Borough Council approved five ordinances on June 18, 2025 in response to the prior Memorial Day weekend, including earlier boardwalk closing times, according to Patch. (longisland.news12.com) The boardwalk now closes at 1 a.m. on Friday nights, Saturday nights and federal holidays including Memorial Day and July 4, and at midnight from Sunday through Thursday. (nj1015.com) Patch reported that the borough also banned backpacks, cinch bags, coolers and similar larger bags on the boardwalk from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m., with exceptions for diaper bags and medical equipment. Vaz said at the time that “our first obligation is to the safety of the community.” News 12 reported that the borough’s 10 p.m. curfew for people under 18 remains in effect this summer. (patch.com) Patch reported last year that Seaside Heights also bars unaccompanied minors from being out between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., with limited exceptions. ### What does the town say it will do if conditions deteriorate? (patch.com) Mayor Tony Vaz told News 12 that he would shut down the entire boardwalk again if conditions begin to worsen. In 2025, Police Chief Thomas Boyd ordered the boardwalk closed at 12:05 a.m. on Memorial Day as what department spokesman Steve Korman described to Patch as “a proactive approach to ensure public safety.” (longisland.news12.com) Patch also reported that Boyd said the 2025 weekend was worse than 2024 and described the crowd as unusually belligerent. The mayor later called that weekend the worst he had seen in 59 years in Seaside Heights. ### When will the next test come? Memorial Day this year is Monday, May 25, 2026, and Seaside Heights Borough Hall lists that date as a holiday closure on the borough calendar. (longisland.news12.com) The same calendar lists a council meeting for May 20, days before the weekend crowds are expected to arrive. (seaside-heightsnj.org) (patch.com)