Monmouth County police set a curfew at Pier Village in Long Branch for Tuesday night after fights and large crowds of unruly teenagers drew riot shields onto the scene. Police cleared the last of the crowds around 9:15 p.m., with NJ Transit delays of up to 45
By 8 p.m. Tuesday, the situation at Pier Village in Long Branch had flipped from crowded beach weekend energy to something police needed to manage head-on. Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office officials instituted a curfew after fights and large crowds of unruly teenagers forced a heavy police response.
On scene, a News 12 crew observed police with riot shields clearing out the last of the crowds around 9:15 p.m. Videos sent to the newsroom showed teens fighting. Other posts on social media captured a large group of young people gathering at the location. with loud music audible in the background as officers moved through the area.
The curfew wasn’t an isolated move. News 12 previously reported on so-called “pop-up” parties at Pier Village, where hundreds of people arrive unannounced. Local officials have been working to stop these gatherings. but Tuesday’s crowd still surged early enough to trigger a coordinated police push and a hard stop to movement.
The pressure around Pier Village isn’t new. Last year, a man was shot and killed at a concert in Pier Village. Tuesday’s crowd formed before Memorial Day Weekend—often seen as the unofficial opening kickoff to the summer shore season—when the boardwalk and beaches typically start drawing bigger crowds. It was also an unseasonably warm day. and large groups were enjoying the shore up and down the state. bringing even more people into the same summer-weekend mindset.
Even regional transit felt the effects. Even NJ Transit was impacted, with a train on the North Jersey Coast Line subject to delays of 45 minutes due to police activity in Long Branch.
Police from several other boroughs also came to assist. including Deal and Eatontown. as the response expanded beyond the initial jurisdiction. For residents and visitors. the message from Tuesday night was blunt: when large groups converge and fights break out. the shore season’s first rush can turn into a public-safety emergency—fast. and without warning.
Pier Village Long Branch curfew Monmouth County Sheriff's Office riot shields teenagers pop-up parties NJ Transit delays North Jersey Coast Line Memorial Day Weekend