Overview

• Effective early August, the ordinance authorizes penalties for parents whose children cause public disturbances or commit any of 28 listed offenses
• Guardians receive initial written warnings and information sheets before fines up to $2,000 and up to 90 days in jail apply to second offenses
• The law mandates due-process protections and provides support services including social work referrals and parenting classes
• The Gloucester Township Police Department is finalizing enforcement protocols and tracking repeat juvenile court findings
• Township officials frame the measure as promoting parental responsibility in response to past juvenile disruptions and critics caution it could disproportionately impact vulnerable families