Shomrim Explains Facebook Photo of Black Man
Within the same hour that Pikesville Patch published an article about a controversial photo posted on Shomrim's Facebook page, the group posted an explanation about why the picture was posted.
Photos
The Shomrim of Baltimore neighborhood watch group published an explanation on Thursday about why it has been featuring a photo on its Facebook page since Tuesday that shows a black male riding a bike and towing another.
The photo garned several critical comments on Facebook that the picture implied that the man was stealing the bike—a racially charged accusation by a group that recently was the center of an incident that heightened tensions between Jews and blacks in Northwest Baltimore.
The explanation on the group's Facebook page—whose stated mission is to "gather intelligence on security and safety issues affecting our community"—said the photo is not meant to indicate the man is involved in wrongdoing.
"As always all photos are taken by volunteers and/or community members and are not an indication of comment on a person's guilt or innocence," the comment attached to the photo during the 4 p.m. hour states.
"All incidents reported on this site are for informational purposes only and all individuals are innocent until proven guilty in a Court of law," the comment states.
The photo is posted just below the "about" description of the page, which states: "If you see anything suspicious, please call us at 410 358-9999."
In the photo, a young, black male is pictured riding one bicycle and towing another, riderless bike. The photo was originally posted without any explanation or caption. It drew criticism from Facebook readers in the comments section under the photo. Others in the comment stream implied the man was stealing the bike.
All of the nearly 20 comments have been removed.
Pikesville Patch received the photo in its regular news feed from the group that patrols neighborhoods in Upper Park Heights—a group of communities that straddles the northwest corner of Baltimore City and Pikesville.
Shomrim of Baltimore posted at around 4 p.m. this comment after calls from Pikesville Patch about the photo:
"We received several phone calls regarding a group of individuals that initially each had an individual bike and then after riding in circles around the same several blocks ended up with a another bike as seen here.
"We observed from the distance and did not witness the group do anything that warranted any further observation. If anyone recognizes that it is their bike in the photo and that it was taken without permission they should call 911 to report the theft and contact Shomrim."
Nathan Willner, general counsel for Shomrim, did not return calls this afternoon to Shomrim's hotline, or to his office.
What do you think of the photograph?
RARE MARYLAND INDEPENDENT
7:07 pm on Thursday, August 2, 2012
Janet - please educate this simple person of unknown color, race,sex, or weight.
The patch will not include the color of suspects who the police are looking for, yet the fact that this group put a black man on the website is news?
So, you will not indicate the race of criminals that could help public safety, yet you are front and center on this.
What gives?
How can we consider you a serious organization if you will not accurately report what is going on?
Sean Tully
8:33 pm on Thursday, August 2, 2012
The race of what criminal? The person in the photo has not been charged with any crime by the police. What crime are you referring to?:
A rational person
7:34 pm on Thursday, August 2, 2012
Thank you Shomrim for locating a elderly male this morning. Janet this story is ridiculous, trying to make a story out of nothing
Sean Tully
8:32 pm on Thursday, August 2, 2012
There is no doubt this group (and many other community groups) does good. But that really isn't the point here.
Sean Tully
8:31 pm on Thursday, August 2, 2012
I will simply repeat what I posted on the other thread about this story:
From Shomrim Facebook page (under photo in question):
"We received several phone calls regarding a group of individuals that initially each had an individual bike and then after riding in circles around the same several blocks ended up with a another bike as seen here."
The problem with the above statement is that the group is implying that the kid in the photo was on one bike before "riding in circles" around a few blocks before ending up with the second bike. Are they reporting that the kid had one bike then ended up with two? If so, either the kid stole the bike, bought it from someone, or produced it out of thin air. Which is it Shomrim?
John Rickell
6:43 am on Friday, August 3, 2012
If the person riding the bike was white his picture would have been posted also, I am tired of all the "I'm being picked on because I'm black" It is a Nationally known fact that the majority of crimes are committed by blacks. Read the City Paper's Murder Ink, So and so was shot and killed by a "black person" over and over again, rarely do you see a white person pulling the trigger. So Shomrim keep up the good work in keeping your neighborhood in check. And if the "blacks" want the stats to go down, quit committing the crimes and help stop the crimes.
ihgreen
9:01 am on Friday, August 3, 2012
Columbine, Colorado, Oklahoma----shall I go on??????
jackblasio
10:15 am on Wednesday, October 10, 2012
On the flip-side there were a group of whites circling a block on bikes, in the photo the white kid was limping, clothes torn, busted eye and, standing in a puddle of urine looking for his bike....and the camera was stolen before it could be presented on the back pages of the free-press...was this a race issue?...no...just another day in charm city...
Charles Stover
7:47 am on Friday, August 3, 2012
In today's society and crime so apparent, why would anyone think it is NOTt unusual to be riding a bike and towing another. If anyone knows anything about why the individual was towing a bike, next to the one he was riding, why not post it in here. After all, think about the Zimmerman/Martin case. No one, other than the two were there, but EVERYONE voiced their opion as if they were eye witnesses. That is the media for you folks. Live with it.
Brad
1:14 pm on Friday, August 3, 2012
Rockwell. You can't be serious. You just opened your mouth and inserted foot. Might be a good idea to stop and think before starting to type... Unless you really are a racist.
Brad
1:16 pm on Friday, August 3, 2012
Stover. Maybe he's meeting up with afriend to go on a ride. Maybe he just bought it and is taking it back to his multi million dollar house. It's all perspective. That doesn't make any argument or view of the situation the truth.
Kenny L.
4:35 pm on Friday, August 3, 2012
This is a ridiculous attempt for the Patch to attempt to generate hits by manufacturing a controversy. A clearly suspicious activity has been photographed and posted by a group who is sick and tired of having their property stolen. Surely, nobody thinks this should have been ignored.
Tom Sharp
6:17 pm on Friday, August 3, 2012
If you can look at that photo and read the mind of the photographer who took it, then your talents are being wasted. You should have been working for the CIA when pictures of Osama in mystery settings were floating around. We would have caught him 15 years ago.
Chillin
7:42 pm on Friday, August 3, 2012
I commend the Orthodox Jewish Community for banding together to protect their neighborhood through a neighborhood vigilance group. Facebook is a good tool for them to use, but better judgement would have been to block out the face of the bike rider to protect the innocent.
Edward
5:48 am on Saturday, August 4, 2012
His sunglasses pretty much took care of that and definitely suspicious to see someone riding with a bike in tow, now that they mention it.
judy fountain
8:36 pm on Friday, August 3, 2012
To rickell.the City paper do not represent the nation you sound like a racist blacks don't commit mass murdreds self hate crimes yes teach a race of people to hate themslevs and they will but they better not come in pkvllle and take our stuff right
judy fountain
8:41 pm on Friday, August 3, 2012
Why was my comment rejected okay site run by a group of racist