Vandalism at Flagship Cinemas
Updated August 3, 2006

For the second time in two weeks, the Carrolltowne movie theaters have been vandalized. The glass exit door on the right was smashed last week, and the door on the left was shattered last night with rocks, now strewn about the parking lot. Most patrons and employees do not even seem fazed by these problems; the Carrolltowne movie theater is no stranger to broken windows, graffiti, and petty theft. In 2006 alone, the Sheriff's Office has assisted Maryland State Police and the Fire Department on twelve similar calls, in addition to two thefts, one indecent exposure, and twenty-one miscellaneous calls.

“We’re assuming kids,” said theater employee Lindsay Young, “Throwing rocks. There’s about fifty million [rocks].” She expressed her displeasure of having to clean up the mess. “They seem to like breaking our exit doors.”

Glass and rocks were cleared from the inside and the outside walk area, and the door is now temporarily covered with cardboard until it can be replaced with the same stronger glass that was installed in the opposite door after last week’s breakage. Young said that she personally hopes for safety glass, which the box office windows have.

“I think they tried to break the box office too, but it’s plastic, so [the rocks] just kind of bounce back at you,” Young laughed with her co-worker, Samantha O’Bryhim.

There are currently no known suspects. The theater itself does not have solid plans to prevent further vandalism, but O’Bryhim mentioned that she heard that the theater might bring in some undercover cops. The two discussed managers’ past attempts to stop kids from wrecking the theater. “Managers have camped out on the roof,” Young said, “They stand up there and yell at them.” O’Bryhim said that it was “just to scare them” and nothing too serious.

Although not quite undercover cops, the police will be watching the area. Sergeant Phillip S. Kasten from the Carroll County Sheriff's Office said, "In response to citizen concerns and at landlord request, the Carrolltowne Mall, movie theater and adjacent businesses are part of the Sheriff's Office 'Directed Patrol Program.' Through directed patrols, deputies attempt to discourage criminal activity, and allay community fear through uniformed foot and vehicle patrols. Additionally, these patrols provide deputies the additional opportunity to intercept crimes in progress."

There were no other problems besides the broken glass at the theaters. No one was available to give an official statement on the event. Movies will still be shown at the regular times, and the employees ask that patrons not use the broken exit doors to leave the theaters.

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