Bucks County, Pa. woman admits fake report of gun on NJ boardwalk

☑️ Police closed Surfside Pier as a precaution after a 911 call about a gun

☑️ The caller provided detailed information about the suspects, according to officials

☑️ No firearms were found

NORTH WILDWOOD — A Bucks County woman was charged with making a false report about a gun on a North Wildwood pier that led to confusion.

North Wildwood police evacuated Surfside Pier as a precaution around 7:15 p.m. on June 22, according to North Wildwood police. The Cape May SWAT team also responded to the threat.  Police later said the evacuation was based on a call with detailed information about male teenagers entering the pier showing a handgun.

The suspects were located and found not to have any firearms.

Police followed up with the caller after further investigation could not back up other details of the call. Taylor Erickson, 29, of Bristol, Pa. admitted to making it all up after an argument with the group, according to police.

Erickson was charged with second-degree causing false public alarm and second-degree false reports to law enforcement officers. She was released pending a court date.

ALSO READ: PA teens charged in Jersey Shore arcade assault

Preparing for trouble on the boardwalk

Law enforcement has braced themselves every weekend for potential problems with fights and large crowds breaking out on the boardwalks.

Wildwood declared a state of emergency over Memorial Day weekend due to crowds of unruly teens. The boardwalk was closed for several hours. The same weekend there was a stabbing in Ocean City and a false report of a shooting in Seaside Heights. Pop up parties that could potentially bring in hundreds of people to Long Branch and Wildwood were squelched by law enforcement days before the event.

The rowdy behavior has led several municipalities to act independently to help maintain order.

Wildwood implemented a ban on backpacks at the beach and on the boardwalk in an attempt to crack down on people bringing drugs, alcohol, or weapons to the beach.

Margate police are enforcing the parental responsibility section of their curfew ordinance that first went into effect in 1976. The local law holds parents responsible for their children’s behavior between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. If officers see unsupervised teens “engaging in any behavior that is unlawful, puts their safety at risk, or if they ignore lawful commands from officers” they will be taken back to police headquarters and  parents or guardian called to take custody of the minor.

Legislators in the fourth legislative district introduced legislation that would increase penalties for misconduct on public property. Although it was in response to unruly teens at the Gloucester Day celebration on June 1, the penalties would also apply to public boardwalk.

The legislation would create penalties for certain conduct related to public brawl and disorderly acts, and establish the offense of inciting public brawl. Training programs would also be required for local law enforcement to better handle large gatherings, flash mobs and pop-up parties.

Previous reporting by Rick Rickman was used in this report

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