Towson University Increasing Police Presence in Response to White Student Union Patrols

The White Student Union at Towson University recently revealed plans to conduct nighttime crime patrols on campus, and college officials swiftly responded with intentions to increase their own.

"To insure that the entire campus community continues to feel safe and comfortable, the [Towson University Police Department] is increasing its presence on campus during the evening hours," wrote Deb Moriarty, vice president for student affairs.

Matthew Heimbach, president of the group, did not return calls for comments from a Patch reporter, but told The Baltimore Sun that the patrols will occur a few times a week as a result of what he claims is a rise in black-on-white crime.

Moriarty denounced Heimbach's claims in the statement, and assured the campus community that the university is staying on top of the situation.

The White Student Union is not an official Towson University group, having not met the requirements for campus recognition, which include having a faculty advisor, college officials said. Heimbach created the group shortly after another organization he helmed, Youth for Western Civilization, disbanded following controversy that occurred when members scrawled "white pride" in chalk at various campus locations in early 2012. 

Youth for Western Civilization's faculty advisor resigned soon after the incident.

After lying low for a few months, the White Student Union once again caught the media spotlight a few weeks ago when it called for racial separateness at a Conservative Political Action Conference panel.

Moriarty's statement, which was lightly edited for clarity, can be read in full below:

"It is important for the campus community to know that your concerns regarding activities of the “White Student Union” which has been in the news again, are shared by the University Administration. We continue to take every available opportunity to clarify that there is no established or recognized “White Student Union” (WSU) on Towson University’s campus. While a Towson University student attempted to form a recognized group in the fall, it failed to meet the university’s requirements for gaining recognition (including securing a faculty advisor). It should also be mentioned that another individual who was quoted in recent media reports as a member of the WSU, is not now nor has ever been enrolled as a student at Towson University. The university will continue to work proactively monitoring this organization and is following the development of activities that are being reported in the media.

Freedom of speech, expression and association are core constitutional rights that protect all groups, including the WSU, as long as they abide by the law. Occasionally these freedoms result in activities and language that many find hurtful, hateful and offensive. We strive to protect the rights of all students to these freedoms while also creating opportunities for discussion, learning and support. We will continue to work vigorously with students who feel threatened by the proposed activities of this group to ensure their safety and to help them find their voice to take back their power from those they feel are denigrating them. Immediate action will be taken in response to any reports of threats to the physical safety of individuals or groups within our community.

In response to the establishment of the “WSU crime patrols” at Towson University, we do not encourage the general public to take the law into their own hands for both their personal safety and legal protection. Our police department consistently encourages all members of the campus community to be observant and aware of their surroundings, practice good crime prevention and report any suspicious activity to the Towson University Police Department (410-704-4444) for investigation.

Towson University continues to be one of the safest campuses in the University System of Maryland (USM). In its last published report, Towson University had the lowest crime statistics per capita in 2011 (Part 1-UCR statistics) among the USM campuses. In fact, despite our enrollment increase of 2.31% our total violent crime in 2012 was down 37.5% over the prior year.

Towson University has a policy that prohibits weapons (06-01.11 – Weapons Prohibited) which can be found on our website. Furthermore, the individual involved has received a communication from the Vice President of Student Affairs and the State’s Attorney for Baltimore County clarifying TU policy and Maryland state law as it relates to these proposed patrols. To insure that the entire campus community continues to feel safe and comfortable, the TUPD is increasing its presence on campus during the evening hours.

One of the most egregious miscommunications being reported in the media is about crime on campus. Crime statistics are not tracked by race and gender and there is no evidence that people are victims of crime as a result of their race. Additionally, on occasion the University makes a conscious decision to issue crime alerts when crimes happen within a mile of campus. Finally, TU tracks hate and bias incidents on campus and those typically are acts that target groups who have historically been underrepresented in higher education. We monitor all of these types of activities closely and respond swiftly.

Exchanging opinions and ideas are as essential to our mission as is our commitment to diversity and non-discrimination. As stated in an earlier communication from President [Maravene] Loeschke, we all are working tirelessly to continue to remain on top of what has been a challenging situation."