NJ police scrutinize parents' absence during family-friendly vacation hot spots' disruption by young mobs.

New Jersey beach town mayors are urging the state to abandon a plan to reduce penalties for young offenders, as they believe it is linked to a rise in teen mobs causing chaos in vacation areas.

A false alarm about an active shooter in Seaside Heights caused a panic among kids, who ran off the boardwalk in a frenzy. In Ocean City, a group of young men and boys attacked a teen, punching and kicking him on the boardwalk. Video footage shows the incident. A 15-year-old was also stabbed. Wildwood leaders declared a state of emergency and closed the boardwalk to quell "civil unrest."

Unsupervised young people are causing stress for local police, businesses, and tourists during the summer vacation season in all three beach towns, which are popular destinations for families, graduating high schoolers planning after-prom parties, and other seasonal visitors.

In Seaside Heights, Mayor Anthony Vaz enforced summer-long curfews for juveniles and prohibited house rentals without an adult present.

"We must strictly enforce the rules against smoking and underage drinking on the boardwalk, as Vaz stated. However, enforcing these rules requires a large number of police officers. Thousands, in fact. Even with the best efforts, they will not be successful without legislation that imposes penalties for violating these rules."

"There is no respect for law enforcement." — Mayor Anthony Vaz, Seaside Heights

Vaz is urging other local leaders to unite and visit the state legislature to request harsher penalties for the most serious juvenile offenders and stricter consequences for teenagers caught smoking pot or drinking alcohol in public.

WATCH: 'Unruly, unparented children' spark Wildwood state of emergency

On Memorial Day weekend, Mayor Tony Troiano Jr. declared a state of emergency in Wildwood after out-of-control teens caused chaos.

The city will not tolerate unruly, undisciplined, and unparented children, and will not stand by while the laws of the state limit the police's ability to enforce the law.

"We want everyone to have a good experience. That's all there is to it," he said to Planet Chronicle Digital. "Imagine you're at home. If you behave foolishly at home, then stay home."

The city announced on Monday that police received numerous calls about a "huge" crowd, many of whom were teenagers and young adults without their parents. Despite having fewer than 50 officers this summer, the department typically has around 100 officers. This has caused difficulties in sending officers to handle other emergencies.

He invited visitors back to the boardwalk after seeking assistance from neighboring law enforcement agencies.

""Enjoy what we have to offer, but follow the laws and avoid underage drinking and smoking dope," he said."

Troiano stated that he received a call from the governor following the emergency declaration and was seeking modifications to state law that would allow his officers to better enforce rules and consequences for repeat offenders, despite their depleted roster and ongoing challenges.

"This is all bad," he stated. "You're allowing these children to violate the law, and there's nothing you can do to stop it."

According to Mayor Jay Gillian, Ocean City Police promptly "restored order" on the boardwalk by arresting several teens.

"During Memorial Day weekend, Ocean City faced issues related to large crowds of teens on the boardwalk, fights, shoplifting, and disorderly conduct, as has been experienced in other shore towns in recent years. The mayor stated that he understands the impact this behavior has on residents, guests, and business owners and that Ocean City will not tolerate it."

According to Vaz in Seaside Heights, the worst offenders have always broken rules. However, he has observed that misbehaving minors exhibit no fear of repercussions whatsoever.

"He stated, "The young people are aware of this, as they are under 18 and over 18 years old. I have personally witnessed a police officer stopping a young person for any reason, such as cannabis smoking, and the response is always, 'You cannot do anything to me.'""

"They don't believe in authority. They believe in entitlement." — Mayor Anthony Vaz, Seaside Heights

They refuse to cooperate and often give fake names, he said.

The cop must record "Joe Schmo" because that's what the kid claimed his name was, according to the speaker.

A former superintendent of schools, now the mayor, stated that he has observed a significant change in how teens interact with not only police but also adults in general over the years.

"As a child, I wasn't perfect, but I was afraid of the consequences if I made a mistake, especially if it was something serious, and my father, in particular, would take matters into his own hands," he stated. "Today, we generally don't have those kind of parents."

Groups of kids, some as young as 14, are arriving in town without adult supervision and obtaining drugs or alcohol.

"If you lack respect, it goes beyond mere disobedience," he stated.

"If I were a 17-year-old boy and got caught by a cop with a beer, I would have been extremely anxious," he stated. "They're not anxious. They don't care."

When his department was overwhelmed by the number of kids on the boardwalk, Vaz considered declaring a state of emergency. However, he gave credit to neighboring law enforcement agencies for providing backup that helped calm the situation.

"Thousands of kids gathered on Saturday, according to Vaz. He has been present for 58 years and claims that this was the largest crowd of young people he has ever seen."

Video shows horrified teens running for cover after someone yelled, "Shots fired!"

The mayor stated that if there had been actual gunshots, the situation would have been much worse, as investigators later determined there were no shots.

According to Betsy Branter Smith, a former police sergeant and spokesperson for the National Police Association, the root of many problems lies in inadequate parenting, which is exacerbated when police officers are unable to perform their duties due to restrictive state laws or lenient prosecutors.

"Ultimately, it comes down to parenting, but you can't control that. You can't enforce it. Therefore, the business owners and tourists will be the ones affected."

Several recent cities, including Miami and Fort Lauderdale in Florida and Gulf Shores in Alabama, have faced the same issue of unruly youths during spring break and have successfully resolved it.

""I believe it would be beneficial for Jersey Shore mayors and police leaders to publicly declare a zero-tolerance policy towards mayhem and alcohol use, and ensure they enforce it strictly," she stated."

Meanwhile, cities such as Washington, D.C., and Chicago remain committed to "woke" prosecutors and policies, she stated.

"Smith commented on the rise of juvenile crimes, stating that it is a serious issue. He also mentioned the recent increase in teen takeovers in Chicago, which has been the talk of the town. Smith pointed out that the events that took place on the Jersey Shore this weekend are similar to what is happening in Chicago, with kids causing chaos without any consequences."

The Jersey Shore mayors have commenced their campaign. Troiano hopes the state will permit his officers to perform their duties.

""To ensure the safety of our businesses during the summer, the governor called me directly," he said."