What, exactly, is the point of posting these "Crime Reports"? Is it to alert us that crime is happening in our neighborhoods? How is that news? Crime is always going to occur. Is it to remind us to be more vigilant? Really, is there anyone anywhere whho is so disconnected as to think we live on a crime-free island here in Catonsville? If anything, these "Crime Reports" only needlessly raise the level of alarm and anxiety
without providing any valid service to the community they are intended to serve.

Hi Dave, thanks for commenting. I don't know a single news media outlet that doesn't write about crime information for many reasons: to alert the public or to keep track of things that occur in the community. Every Patch site includes crime logs from their local precinct, so I'm not the only one who does it. A lot of readers have told me they appreciate keeping up to speed on these, but I'm sure there are others who don't like reading about it. There are plenty of things we write about that are not crime, however. The homepage today has a lot of other topics.

I am well aware that crime reports are a staple of the news, and I know that a lot of people derive a certain amount of pleasure from them. As a history and government teacher for 30-odd years, I have come to the conclusion that these crime reports often rise to a level of sensationalism that in the end serves no good purpose, and and tend to raise a level of anxiety that is not truly reflective of the problem. I am not suggesting that you do away with the crime report, but I do feel that the presentation could somehow be altered as to not make it seem like we're ridden with crime in this community, which we certainly are not. I have heard it suggested in a community meeting that 'according to Patch, there seems to be an increase in the number of crimes committed in our community'. We know that in reality the crime list posted in the Patch, content-wise, is no different than the report found in the Catonsville Times, but when the Times presents their crime report, it is buried in a small corner of an inside page; when Patch presents theirs, it's a headline that comes across my email as a stand-alone. That fact alone, I believe, causes unnecessary alarm, because, as you also now, there has been no substantial rise in the rate of crime in this area - there has always been a certain level of criminal activity that fluctuates mildly, but in my 58 years in Catonsville has never been much different, one way or the other.

I understand where you are coming from Dave. As the editor of the site and a Catonsville resident (although not a longtime one) I always want to err on the side of reporting news instead of sensationalizing it. I can tell you my goal is not to sensationalize, but to give readers information that they want to read. Many people read these posts.
We have seven days of daily newsletters that go out and I can tell you that crime typically is the top story in the newsletter only once a week. Based on that proportion I don't think we're overdoing it.
Comparing what's on a page of the Catonsville Times vs. what is on Patch is comparing apples to oranges. We don't have a print paper. I can direct you to their website, which does have the ATM robbery on the homepage: http://www.baltimoresun.com/explore/baltimorecounty/
There was a time when readers didn't have Patch at all (as the site has only been live since October 2010), so maybe the perception in the community is there because readers are simply still getting used to a product that wasn't around before.
Thanks again for the feedback. I always appreciate the criticism and dialogue from readers.

Penny the way you report the crime is perfectly fine and is no different then any other Patch. Dave the crime report only comes a cross like that on Tuesdays because that's the day that the crime reports are listed so of course it's going to be priority. There are plenty of subject lines that come across that I don't care about and rather then complain I just delete them because I am sure it's an interest to other people. It's been years since I've read a paper version of the Times cause I prefer to get my news online but I do remember that it's not a tiny dot hidden it used to be part of the letters to the editors section. Your not obligated to click on the link in your email so if you don't want to read it either delete the email or unsubscribe from updates! I believe I was in the same meeting that your referring to and that isn't exactly what was said about the Patch, the statement was referring to crimespot.com and the way they report crime in the area because they sometimes misuse terms making people think that there is an escalation of a certain type. The Patch has been very selective in how they report crime and as someone that does subscribe to crimespot.com for our neighborhood watch I can certainly tell you that I get an email of about 40+ crimes per week that happen in the 21228 zip code the Patch takes the more serious and ignores the rest. I use the Patch frequently as a 2nd resource for our watch's page. Keep up the good work Penny!

I see nothing wrong in reporting crime in our area, as long as it remains factual, as it has been reported here. It is a tool for the reader, so they can be proactive. We can be more vigilant, put away valuables in our yards and porches, and lock that window when we leave our home. There would be a lot less "victims" of crime, if we took more of a role in our own safety and used good old common sense.

I was a victim of crime and witnessed crime throughout my ten years living in Catonsville. It is plagued to a certain degree, in my opinion and not enough is being done about it from residents, in the community. It may be because, many of the people involved, in these acts, come from Catonsville. The crime may be petty or not, residents should be more vigilant. Neighborhood watch group meetings would help considerably. I believe many do not want to take the time to get involved. The crime reports are just that, reports. It is taken any way one may feel about it. I had commented on Patch, a time or two, voicing my concerns and opinion, on criminal activity and had no replies, by Patch or readers. It left me with the impression that citizens, who read Patch, may have few concerns of incidents in Catonsville, even though, one day, may effect them directly. I was also left with the impression, Patch rather not get involved contributing solutions pertaining to these issues, but rather just report about it, from the sideline.

Ronnie, I'm sorry for the experiences with crime that you have had. I'm also sorry that you think Patch isn't offering solutions or responses. I'm the editor of the Catonsville site and if you have any questions or concerns, please contact me directly at penny.riordan@patch.com or 410-507-9304.

I searched the site for your name and found no other comments that have appeared on Catonsville Patch, unless you were commenting under another user name. Maybe you tried to comment, but your comment was never processed.

As far as offering solutions, I believe we have made an effort to provide useful information whenever possible. For example, whenever police issue surveillance shots or mug shots of a suspect we post them on the site.

We have also shared information from police on how to secure your home against break-ins:
http://catonsville.patch.com/articles/police-offer-tips-for-protecting-homes-businesses-from-break-ins

And whenever police hold community meetings on crime, we are there:
http://catonsville.patch.com/articles/live-blog-catonsville-arbutus-safety-summit

These are just a few examples. Thanks for commenting.