Holiday Weekend Brings Increased Police Presence To Jersey Shore

NEW YORK (CBS 2) -- Going into this holiday weekend, there will be extra eyes on roads and on the water. Police are stepping up patrols to crack down on illegal fireworks, drunk driving and boating, Jay Dow reports.

On the Jersey Shore, 30 police departments will work to put the brakes on underage drinking by placing undercover officers inside liquor stores to catch customers using fake IDs.

Off the shore, maritime patrols will be out in full force as this is one of the year's two busiest boating weekends. They will crack down on BWI, boating while intoxicated, under the national effort "Operation Dry Water."

Personal watercraft, such as jet skis, are regulated just like full-sized boats. You have to be 16, must pass a boating safety class, and need a license to operate one.

On the boardwalk, investigators with New Jersey's Division of Consumer Affairs are on the hunt for lead-filled toys and rigged, wallet-draining games.

Police are well aware people are spending a lot more across state lines, particularly in Pennsylvania, to buy fireworks, but say responsibility ultimately rests with the fireworks' buyer, who should know it's illegal to transport, possess, and use fireworks in New York and New Jersey.

"I know it's dangerous, but with proper supervision, I think it could be done right," one resident said.

"We'll call that 'government' in America," laughed Ken Schuchman, owner of Fireworks Outlet. "We caution them to do what they think they need to to, but that's not really our responsibility."

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