If you’re under the age of 18 and plan to visit Bethany Beach - just know there’s a new curfew time in effect.
The Bethany Beach Mayor and Council recently voted to change the curfew for anyone under the age of 18 from 1 a.m. to 11 p.m. in an effort to make the resort safer.
Mayor Rosemary Hardiman says, “I think we should note that for generations, families have come to Bethany Beach and the surrounding area for vacation to have an enjoyable vacation. And teens have always congregated downtown on the Boardwalk and the beach and they’ve enjoyed themselves and they’ve been respectful of the rights of others to do so - to do the same thing. Complaints and incidents of misconduct have been relatively few.”
Mayor Hardiman says Bethany has always enjoyed a reputation of a quiet, family-friendly town.
But as of late, she notes things have changed.
Hardiman says this summer has brought an unprecedented number of visitors to the resort - due in part to last year’s coronavirus restrictions.
She says because of the huge influx, the conduct of some groups of unsupervised teens at night has become a serious problem, with complaints of teens harassing people as they walk to their cars late at night being reported.
Hardiman says she personally received a call over the fourth of July weekend from a restaurant owner reporting that a large group of teens had been harassing his female wait staff as they left work at night.
She says in addition, large groups of teens have been congregating on the beach at night, disregarding beach rules and leaving trash behind on the beach and boardwalk.
Hardiman says the 11 p.m. curfew will be enforced by resort police. The curfew remains until September 30, 2021 and will start again on May 1, 2022.
She adds that there are exceptions, including for teens accompanied by a parent, for emergencies and those working in Bethany Beach.
