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SENIOR WEEK SAFETY TIPS
Each year, thousands of graduating high school seniors visit Ocean City from across the region to celebrate their recent accomplishments. To keep these young adults safe, the Ocean City Police Department offers the following safety information. We encourage parents of visiting high school seniors to discuss the following information with their children before visiting Ocean City.
- The OCPD enforces a strict zero-tolerance policy for underage drinking. Underage drinking and intoxication often lead to unintended consequences such as becoming a victim of a crime or violating additional laws.
- The OCPD also proactively enforces drug laws. During the month of June and throughout the entire year, detectives in plain clothes conduct undercover buy-bust operations throughout the town to prevent the sale and purchase of drugs in Ocean City.
- Students should be encouraged to stay with friends at all times during their stay and only invite friends that they know and trust into their unit or hotel room.
- Coastal Highway is an eight-lane highway filled with heavy traffic. It is imperative to always use crosswalks when crossing roadways in Ocean City. Take the time to walk to the next crosswalk and wait for the signal to indicate that it is safe to cross.
- The Town of Ocean City promotes a clean, safe and reliable municipal bus system. We encourage all visiting seniors to take advantage of the bus and leave their vehicles parked during their stay.
- The Town of Ocean City has a noise ordinance that is strictly enforced to promote a peaceful environment during the night hours. It is unlawful for any person to make, cause, or continue any loud, unnecessary, unnatural, or unusual noise, or any noise which annoys, disturbs, injures or endangers the comfort, repose, health, peace, and safety of others at any time, day or night. Ocean City strongly enforces its ordinance that no disruptive noises be made between 12 midnight and 7 a.m. in such a manner as to be heard at a distance of 50 feet from the building or structure in which it is located.
- Sleeping in any motor vehicle within the city limits of Ocean City is prohibited. Sleeping on the beach also is not allowed between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.
Parents with questions about how students can stay safe during their visit to Ocean City or large groups in Maryland that would like an OCPD representative to make a presentation, contact the OCPD Public Affairs Office at 410-520-5395.