Jackson, NJ Public Conduct: Loitering Rules (2026)

Article II of Chapter 304 governs the Camp Joy Municipal Recreation Area, a Township-owned facility with its own permit and conduct rules separate from the general park system in Article I. Section 304-22, amended in 1980 by Ordinance No. 14-80, bars any person or vehicle from loitering or remaining at Camp Joy while it is closed, unless there is an emergency reported to a police officer or a Township representative, or the Township Committee (now Council) has granted permission for a specific group gathering, activity or function during closed hours.

That loitering rule sits alongside § 304-20's broader disorderly conduct list for the facility, which separately bars loitering or creating a disturbance while intoxicated, along with fighting, gambling, carrying weapons, and firing firecrackers or fireworks on the grounds. Camp Joy admission itself runs on a permit and fee system under §§ 304-9 through 304-16: residents and taxpayers pay $2 per day, nonresidents must be accompanied by a resident, seniors 65 and older get reduced weekday rates, and students with a registration card pay $1 per day.

That structure means loitering after closing is treated as a distinct violation from simply being on the grounds without a permit during open hours. Section 304-31 sets the penalty for any Article II violation, including the loitering rule: conviction brings a fine of not more than $500 or imprisonment in the Ocean County Jail for up to 30 days, or both, separate from the general Chapter 304 penalty that applies to Article I.