Dey wuz keepins itz realz!!

You really don't know much about people do you?

Day dont neeed no stinkin jobs! Dey got Obama Money comin in.

Pete, am I missing something where in the article is anyone 18?
Mostly all are 21 or older..

Grow up. You sound like a high school student. How is it disrespectful for Morgan State alums to do something in Towson?

Everyone inside the event was unaware of the problems outside. The guys outside most likely where upset because the tickets where sold out and they had no where to go. The problem is these people who need to stop drinking and start acting like adults. I wonder who drove them to Towson. They are an embarrassment to Morgan State. Towson has enough racial profiling and these jokers just made it worse.

Cry me a river. Why don't you move to Carroll County?

It would never work. If the police targeted he young thugs causing the problems the complaints would start rolling in from the church leaders and local politicians causing the police bosses to put a stop to any productive police enforcement. What do you think happened in Baltimore?

I lay the blame on the fraternity and the Recher Theater that promoted this event. Who in their right mind says 1st come 1st entered if the hall only holds 500-600 people. Most of previous events at the Recher have been thru prepaid tickets. There should be a requirement by this business that no event is held unless it is prepaid. I feel for the Baltimore County Police. How can they handle over 2500 people when 1/2 were probably angry they couldn't get into the event. Poor planning by both the Recher Theater and Morgan State Omega Psi Phi fraternity.

@Parkvillehoney - aren't movies first come first served? So should they not be allowed unless they only allow advanced-purchase tickets?

I agree. Wasn't someone aware of the crowd ?

Domer, this was a one time event. Any event I have attended was always prepaid, in order to control the crowd to meet the building occupancy limit. Movies play the same show over a number of days. Only time movies have prepaid admission is on a popular 1st time showing. Remember Harry Potter movies? 1st showings were always on a prepaid basis.

BD, maybe you think that the occasional riot, or stabbing , or shooting is an acceptable part of life in the college town that is Towson, but many of us who have lived around here most of our lives find these things to be totally unacceptable. Towson has been a "college town" for many years without the kind of extreme situations we saw this weekend. As far as your statement "diversity..keeps the community going";diversity can certainly be a positive aspect, but, from what I have seen, increasing diversity coincided with the closing of Towson Commons, shoplifting and murder in Towson Town Center, and incidents like this past weekend. Coincidence? I wonder. How long will it be until Towson needs guard towers like Mondawmin Mall?

Why would anyone think its acceptable behavior? The point is “they noted that the majority of people were cooperative. However, seven arrests were made” Out of 2500 people 7 people got out of hand? Even the director of Towson Commerce said it was an “unfortunate, isolated incident” sounds like they had it under control and are dealing with the 7 that took it to another level. I agree something should be done to those seven but you are sitting here and telling me it’s the fault of the business owners? That is ridiculous. The small business owners are the ones keeping downtown Towson alive.

My point of it being a college town is because someone addressed the issues with “vomit in the parking lots”. It’s going to happen in this area and has been for at least a decade (if in fact you are from the area). You are putting the blame on Brian Recher and acting like he doesn’t care about this community and just wants to throw outrageous parties, sorry I mean clothing drives. When in fact he is helping build the community and all the local business owners are as well. Also M. Sullivan you might want to think about moving out of Towson then, the “commons” are getting rebuilt on the corner were burger king used to be to create circle III. Sounds like people are investing in the area and trying to build up Towson, but with your views we can’t get to diverse because with your so called statistics there is going to be more stabbings and shootings. Good luck!

BD, this "clothing drive" was nothing more than a hip-hop party disguised as a charitable event. According to the Baltimore Sun, local Goodwill officials knew nothing about the event. These hip-hop concerts often result in violence, and Recher should have known this. I think most Towson business owners are responsible, good neighbors who work hard to keep up the standards that Towson has always known. Recher, however, has let things get way out of hand, and brought down Towson's image. I can't imagine how the developers of Towson Circle III believe things will be any different there than they were at Towson Commons, only 3 blocks away. i wish them luck!

BD I don't know where you live, but this is not acceptable behavior anywhere. I have attended many charitable functions in this state and NONE have resulted in a riot! Some of my family lives in Athens Ga which is the college town for the University of Georgia. There has never been a riot of this nature and they have all kinds of college events in the city. I expect responsible behavior when you are in public. If not, I hope Baltimore County Police arrest the offenders. Remember Towson is a small city that encompasses all ages not just college students.

Parkvillehoney, I live in the middle of Towson but that doesn't matter at all. Please get glasses or learn how to read. I never said it was acceptable behavior, and I also commented on the diversity of Towson so obviously i know it houses all demographics. My point is it was 7 people out of 2500 and the police arrested the offenders. You can't stay bottled up in your little world being agoraphobic, things are going to happen but not everything has to be analyzed to the extreme. If you go back and read the article and read what I posted then you would understand that. Its extremist that take things to the next level. Towson is still a great place to live and that is why you always see all types of people and families walking the streets to the local shops. Your talking about not feeling safe going to the Mall?! That is the craziest thing I have ever heard and you need to step outside your confined box of what you call “reality” There are thousands of people going to the Towson Town Center of all ages. It’s called life and things happen get off your horse and learn how to adapt or go move to an island by yourself.

True only 7 were arrested in this melee, but it caused a lot of problems in Towson. Towson Town Center isn't the safe shopping center it was years ago. 2 murders and several reports of muggings in the garage keep me away. I would rather travel to Bel Air or Carroll County to patronize the same stores located in Towson Town Center. If I can't go out of my comfort zone, so be it. I would rather try to be safe than sorry.

Parkvillehoney, you clearly know nothing about the area and moreso know nothing about maryland in general. Regardless of where you go, its never going to be skipping through fields of daisys and singing songs. Every area is going to have its crimes you can't shield yourself from reality over a few incidents. Its called LIFE and I am not talking about the game. By the way enjoy the townmall of westminster formally Cranberry Mall it will only take 5 steps to see everything.

Oh, it was a clothing drive? This is from the Sun: "Local Goodwill officials said they were not aware of the Theta Mu Mu event and no one had coordinated with them for a clothing drive at the theater." The police did not find any piles of donated clothes.

D Schmid, are you kidding me? Are you just adding information to the articles? Who cares if local goodwill officials said they didn’t know about the event. Since when do you need a permit or permission to give donations to goodwill? That is a rhetorical question D Schmid, just look it up if you can’t comprehend. Hope your still with me here. There is nothing in the Baltimore Sun about not finding cloths and even if they didn’t find cloths what about the money they collect for the event? Don’t answer that if you aren’t 100% sure. The article also added that “the organization takes part in the community service activities such as food drives, reading programs, and helping displaced families and single parents” But I guess they need permission from “officials” to give back to the community? Also D Schmid, the comments you make are hypocritical and dense. You talk about how the “Towson Tavern…is already starting to fall apart…look at the sign…..who would want to dine in a place were they don’t keep the area clean…what must the kitchen be like?” but on another comment you post “Yes. Towson Tavern is a lovely venue, and I have been inside” Hypocrisy? LOL you have been EXPOSED D Schmid. You also say that (leaving the time you stated out) that around 1:00 you had to close your windows when you live at Ridgley!?! If you had to close your windows then you would always have them closed because the Recher is known for concerts!

From your postings D Schmid, you’re obviously just a curmudgeon. I would seriously think about packing up and moving out of Towson, because that construction across the street for the Circle III is going to increase the noise in your location. Have Fun

B D, it is my perception of safety that dictates where I shop and spend money. Towson Town Center doesn't cut it.

westy1, I expect mature and responsible behavior whether it is Homecoming, clothing drive whatever. What gives these young adults the RIGHT to disrupt Towson with fighting, causing a riot, and causing violence. Many people attend the Towsontown Festival and I have never seen a riot during this event. I have stopped going to Towson Town Center because of the increased problems with robberies. My safety is #1 priority. I will patronize businesses where I feel safe.

The blame solely rests with the individuals that started the problem. this is why we have all the problems today in our communities. People are not held accountable for their actions. It's always asier to blame someone or something else. WTF!

Yes, Towson Tavern is a lovely venue, and I have been inside. I'm talking about the conditions surrounding it.

You want a preview of the future development on Joppa Rd? Combine the atmosphere of Skateland, Towson Commons before they closed, and the Towson Town Center and there it is, unless serious and effective security measures are taken and maintained. It would also help if bus service into Towson was discontinued.

I know M. Sullivan - I live in Towson and I am have been 'feeling it' for the last 2 - 3 years

Correct, Towson is not a college town. Most of the immediate neighborhoods are occupied by professionals (with degrees from real universities!) and is family intensive, hence the school overcrowding.

TU as an entity didn't really have an identity as a full university until the 1960-70s. To say the town known as Towson, founded in 1752 associates primarily with mid tier university with less than a century's history is plain silly.

JD - Towson is a part of the UM school system. It's the top provider of educators in the state (and one of the best on the east coast).

I'm not sure why people here always feel the need to belittle others - esp when they have no facts to back up their insults. Or maybe you can define a 'real university' for me?

Uh, try looking further UP York Rd, where college students don't live, where businesses THRIVE, where new communities ARE being built. The creeping fungus from Baltimore City hasn't quite taken over there yet.

Umm, pretty much what West Towson, Southland Hills and Ruxton look like now. These neighborhoods predate the Normal school, retain higher than average market rates and primarily occupied by dual income professionals with children. Having lived here for years I can't recall a single neighbor who attended TU, nor their kids.

The big driver for Towson for years has been the courts. That's why so much of West Towson was being rezoned from residential to office before they put a halt to it.

The economic impact of the university is suspect when a large portion of its funding comes from the taxpayers who live in Towson.

TU doesn't add to property values in Towson, the elementary and middle schools do.

Don't they teach this stuff at TU?

If there was no Baltimore City, there would be no Towson or any communities further up York Road.

If Baltimore City didn't lack decent public schools, didn't tax their residents like there was no tomorrow, had police officers who actually responded to "petty" crimes, like burglary and car break-ins, and had streets that were safe to walk at night, then, you are right, there would be no Towson or any communities further up York Road. All I know is that if there was no Towson or any communities further up York Road, then there would be no *me* living in the Baltimore area.

The only person that was arrested that had had anything more than a traffic ticket was Schultz and that was destruction of property. By the time most drug guys reach these guys' ages their arrests fill a computer screen. I'd say it's almost like these guys just happened to get into a fight at the wrong time. Of course, someone was shot, but that's not necessarily related to the people named above, since it seems there was a whole heck of a lot going on that night.

Edward V Tindel, I feel for you. I believe, in my heart, the more you help someone, the more they become dependent INSTEAD of independent. I lived in poverty and in a poor neighborhood growing up. My one goal was to be educated and work to get out of poverty. If the government gave me housing vouchers, food stamps, childcare, cell phones and medical, I probably would have stayed poor because I wouldn't want to loose what I had free from the government. Povery gave me the goal to do better. Without government help, I knew I had to do it myself. End of story.

Parkvillehoney, the National Park Service tells us that people shouldn't feed wild animals because they will become dependent on those feeding them. Also, wild animals actually become more aggressive when they are given such handouts.

There's a lesson to be learned here, for sure.

Seconded. I work downtown and spend a decent amount of time in Towson. I don't feel unsafe in either place. And to the comment above about Parkville, I grew up there and it also, in my opinion, is safe.

Can anyone on this thread claim that they have been the victim of any assault/robbery/etc in any of those areas? Most of the occurrences there are not random.

BD, I grew up in parts of the city and county that were nice, safe, middle class areas then, but where I wouldn't hang around at night today. Sure, Towson is a relatively safe place now, but, unless there are swift and strong reactions to incidents like this, they slowly become commonplace. Then, one day, we look around and find ourselves in Baltimore City North. Complacency has led to the deterioration of far nicer places than Towson.

M. Sullivan, I absolutely know what can happen to an area as I grew up in Randallstown and now look at the area. If you read what I posted I don't condone the behavior. My point was purely that everyone is making a federal case out of this event (you can’t say anything else about the event not being charitable because you don’t know. The fact that we have to go on right now is it was a clothing drive as stated). All these comments out here about how Towson is a bad area and people are scared to go out, and one person I believe said they haven’t been to the mall in 20 years, is way to extreme. Again, from the facts, it was an isolated incident. Unfortunate? Absolutely! But every place in this world has its crime and criminals. You can’t stop people from not wanting to be an active member of society; however, you can’t board yourself up and shelter yourself because of incidents like this. I know there was a murder at Towson Town Mall but that doesn’t make it unsafe. How many people visit that mall? I don’t have the exact statistics but I am positive that the percentage of people to visit that mall versus the people that are killed at the mall is probably 99.9% to .01%. The police department handled the individuals who can’t participate in public, but the blame has to be put solely on those individuals and the life decisions they make.

It's not just Baltimore. The disease has spread all over. Look at Annapolis, Glen Burnie, Pasadena, Arundel Mills, Columbia and the list goes on and on! Drugs, gangs, broken court and probation system, police department cuts, out of control welfare system and poor parenting. Where do we start?

Oh, missed one big crime contributing factor we saw coming years ago, Light Rail! Imagine that!

There is no correlation between the Light Rail and increase in crime. It's been studied over and over.

Steve you believe what you want. Don't put too much faith in "studies" as they aren't worth the paper they are written on. Saw it first hand with many of my coworkers. It spread the crime like a disease from Hunt Valley to Glen Burnie!

Yeah right, the old anecdotal "My coworkers told me so." That's as almost as good as the other Urban Legend "I know this cop who works in Hunt Valley and he/she told me....."

Steve, nothing anecdotal or urban legend about my comment. I only comment based on my experience on what I know personally and have have seen over the past 30 years. Judging by your comments, you definately do not sound like one who has been out there in the midst of this type of civil unrest, but one who merely reads and comments on it from behind the screen and keybord. Just to let you know I don't know any Baltimore County Police who work in Hunt Valley, just ones that work in the cesspool further south.

LOL "Civil Unrest" I ride the Light Rail all the time. When was the last time you rode it?

Hey Steve, if there's no correlation between our wonderful Light Rail and crime, why did they need to add police kiosks at some stations? Why have the residents of Linthicum been fighting to shut down their station altogether? What caused the tremendous increase in shoplifting at Ridgely Plaza? Why did the residents of all the neighborhoods North of Baltimore along the Light Rail line see a swiftly rising increase in break-ins after the Crime Train started? Those of us who have lived here since before Light Rail was shoved down our throats by Schaefer could see the difference immediately. Sorry to get off topic, but that statement really needed a response.

To M Sullivan you obviously know where I am coming from and know what you are talking about. Steve, When Light rail was completed in Glen Burnie the crime in the area started immediately. I have ridden it in the past, however, knowing what I know, I would not ride it unless I was armed. I have never let my daughter ride it because I never wanted her to be a victim or subjected to the violent acts that have occurred on the trains and at the stop stations. Hope you never experience the fear that the victims have in the incidents which I have investigated over the years. Sounds like you have been lucky while riding. Hope your luck holds out. Stay safe and keep them eyes open. That's all for this topic.

Hey Jimmy, good one. One of my favorite movies.

Did I hit a nerve Stevie boy.There's plenty more of them may want you.If these are the half wits you are sticking up for,then one can only imagine what kind of urine soaked ghetto you live in.

Steve only supports black liberals and criminals. He hates conservative blacks and thinks they are less then human and should be his slaves.

Amen!

YEP ! KK is a coward.

Yup, your open self confessed bigotry Steve keeps you from seeing the truth. There are many for those not so bigoted to see.
Was it you that sent racist mail to Mia Love? You stated how much you hate her.

Serial groper/ You MUST be speaking of Bill the Rapist Molesting Clinton!

She sent it to herself for publicity sake. You would have known that if you would turn the channel from Faux News.

Steve the Patch Resident Racist chimes in again with his racist view of black women. According to FIFI using the term "anchor baby" and "illegal aliens" means you are the worst type of racist bigot. Just ax him if you don;t believe me.

I don't hate anyone you racist bigoted pig Steve. I just do not think it is ok to break our laws unlike you who says laws are for the other people.

Mother Jones? Further left than Marx! And you talk bad about Fox, the number one cable news channel by a long shot? Hypocrite racist bigot!

Steve, you support illegal aliens and have said as much on these pages. Your hypocrisy is as apparent as your racist bigotry. You type just for the sake of typing and seem to have little clue what you type day to day.

M Sullivan, are you employed by The Patch as moderator? If you don't like it don't read it ah!

Joe, maybe the Patch needs a moderator. It's very annoying to try and follow a chain of posts when you have to wade through 3 pages of inane drivel. All you guys do is call each other names. At least have some intelligent arguments!

Intelligent argument is impossible when there are those here who call you a bigot or racist for little to no reason at all.
There are many many comments I find far from intelligent or far form being on topic but I don't whine about it. I skip over them. Have you EVER said the same thing to Fifi or Frank? Hell no you haven't. Your afraid of what they will come back to you with as it may not be to your liking.

The Patch HAS moderators but they seem to be absent and not aware of their own posting policy. that much is apparent.

Hey Joe, I've probably been called a racist or bigot as much as you have on these boards. People like to toss out those word bombs when they can't successfully argue against the truth. I have seen the same issues of off-topic rantings with some others, maybe myself included. Sometimes, though, it gets out of hand and you end up with an endless chain of nothing.

The end of times.

I believe every word you said. Sad to say, note it is a black person committing the crime. I hope Baltimore County Police and the Baltimore County politicans wake up. We need more bike patrols and walking police presence in Towson. If a crime is committed I am sure an officer on a bike would be valuable in apprehending the offender. I hope Towson doesn't have spotty crime like the trendy areas of Fells Point and Canton.