How Shore points keep Snookis at bay

By Silvio Laccetti

The boys are back in town. So are the girls. With their testosterone-fueled tantrums and hormonal hysteria, the cast of MTV's Jersey Shore recently returned to Seaside Heights, and there was trouble soon after they set foot on the sand.

Cast member Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi was arrested for disorderly conduct; news reports say she was unbelievably inebriated. Then, last week, co-star Ronnie Ortiz-Magro was hauled to police headquarters for outstanding warrants.

The Jersey Shore cast members are the latest in a long line of celebrities setting ever worse examples for wide-eyed tweens and teens, as all sorts of transgressions are encouraged by our entertainment complex. From Animal House (an early ancestor of this class of entertainment) to American Pie Presents: Beta House, from fake celebrities to real housewives, chaos, as the kids say, rules.

But there is some push-back - if not in entertainment, then at least in real life (a less-noticed phenomenon) - reining in the sort of personality eruptions that can cause havoc in resort towns. In other words, the real New Jersey Shore has rules.

Back in the early '90s, New Jersey enacted what is commonly called the Animal House law to help Shore communities control rowdy, offensive, and antisocial behavior. Both the owners and tenants of rental properties are subject to fines and other penalties if they harbor habitual disorderly conduct. The fines are levied by special Animal House magistrates, who work long into the winter adjudicating cases.

In Shore communities such as Belmar and Point Pleasant Beach (about 12 miles north of Seaside Heights), seasonal rentals may house as many as 20 to 25 young and intent party animals - often college buddies from real-life "Beta Houses." In Belmar, code officers make early-morning visits, even on Saturdays and Sundays, to check on crowding and other violations. For many young Shore renters, the day doesn't dawn until around noon, so such problems are sure to be found at those hours.

Point Pleasant Beach is even more innovative in its approach to the problem. Its neighborhood action program has police patrolling by foot, bike, and motor vehicle for violations. There are even undercover bike-riders looking for drug activity.

Whether in Florida, California, Delmarva, or New England, rules and enforcement like this make sense for resort destinations.