Hundreds of people were cited over the weekend as part of a crackdown on trespassing at a New Jersey quarry that apparently has become a popular spot for raucous summer parties — despite a number of drownings over the years.
Officers with the Manchester Township Police Department issued 221 citations for various criminal and vehicle-related violations, as well as municipal tickets related to noise complaints and other issues, over a three-day joint operation with state and other local agencies that launched Friday and continued through Monday night, they said.
The goal? “To address ongoing quality of life and safety issues caused by illegal trespassing on the Heritage Minerals site.”
The sprawling 7,000-acre site near Lakehurst, also called the “ASARCO” site, is private property. Up to 1,200 acres have been involved in the mining and processing of local ores. It’s closed for recreational and other uses and entry qualifies as a criminal offense. Trespassers are subject to hefty fines and penalties up to and including incarceration for being on the site.
Lately, though, they either don’t know or don’t care.
Cops have gotten calls from people in multiple adjacent neighborhoods — Suncrest Village, Pine Acres Manor, Summit Park and Leisure Village West — about rampant partying from trespassers, they say. The overwhelming number of complaints involved loud music and noise from rev-happy vehicles like dirt bikes, ATVs and some kinds of watercraft.
The complaints aren’t the only concern, though. Police say the site has been and continues to be a safety hazard, police say. It has seen a number of drownings and serious or deadly ATV crashes over the years.
“Quality of life issues for Manchester residents and public safety have been and will remain the focus of the Manchester Police Department as it continues to address the issues involving Heritage Minerals,” Manchester Police Chief Robert Dolan said in a statement.
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