Wayne Township Officials Seek State Grant To Control 'Pop-Up Parties'

WAYNE, NJ — Wayne Township police have applied for a state grant that will provide more police resources to crack down on unsanctioned "pop-up parties" in vacant buildings.

All municipalities in New Jersey are able to apply for a grant from the Department of Law and Safety's Division of Criminal Justice, which was included in the state budget, to "support law enforcement and public safety needs in the communities they serve."

These gatherings, often advertised on social media, have returned to the Jersey Shore this summer — but rowdy crowds have also flocked to buildings and parking lots in communities like Wayne. In June of 2022, township police and officers from nearby communities stopped an illegal gathering at a vacant property near Willowbrook Mall, and ended up detaining 47 people.

Police have responded to multiple other pop-up parties since then, and officers have also arranged walk-throughs of various buildings where the large gatherings are known to occur, the application states.

Wayne Township Police applied for a Pop-Up Party Prevention and Response Initiative Grant of up to $35,000, which would help pay for additional police patrols and other preventative efforts.

If Wayne receives the grant, Township Council has approved a resolution (No. 227 in this document) to accept the money, which also authorizes police and other township officials to sign any documents necessary to formalize it.

Towns may apply for a maximum of $50,000 in funding through the state grant, and there is a total pool of $500,000 — with grant recipients yet to be selected. Local police departments and governments do not have to match these funds.

Applications include six scored components including a needs assessment, clear goals for the initiatives that departments are seeking to implement, and how they will evaluate the impact of those initiatives.