More officers, agencies to patrol Seaside Heights Boardwalk during Memorial Day weekend
And after more than 100 arrests and three stabbings during that 2025 weekend, Mayor Vaz said never again.
More uniformed officers, K-9 units - even New Jersey State Police horses - are just some of the ways Seaside Heights is looking to avoid a repeat of last year’s Memorial Day Weekend chaos.
“They were clustered together. Hundreds. Maybe thousands. I've never seen it like that before,” said Seaside Heights Mayor Tony Vaz.
And after more than 100 arrests and three stabbings during that 2025 weekend, Mayor Vaz said never again. This year, he’s already asked for more officers, more help, even requesting state police horses to stop crowds from grouping.
“Mobility, keep on moving, keep on moving, keep on moving,” said Mayor Vaz.
Andre Palkolski witnessed similar chaos working in Pier Village several summers ago.
“Even if it's not going to happen, we are ready for worst case scenarios,” said Palkolski. “I knew a lot of people didn't even want to go back the next year because of that fear.”
Mayor Vaz says the 10 p.m. curfew for those under the age of 18 will remain in effect this summer. However, he will shut down the entire boardwalk at any time if conditions start to go downhill.
But for others on the boardwalk, it was business as usual.
“Summer's coming, it's the start of the summer landmark of the season starting for us. All the stores are stocked. We're excited,” said Ariel Bnabraham, owner of One of a Kind and Planet Candy.
“We are so ready, we are so ready for the holiday weekend,” said Seaside Heights local Kristin Portatadino.
And remember the errant buoy?
“Now, it's a hazard,” said Vaz.
If the U.S. Coast Guard doesn’t remove it by next Wednesday, the town will do it themselves. This will allow lifeguards and police to stay focused on safety, not keeping people off a spectacle.
