typical for toms river

A bunch of years in juvenile detention will cure his sticky fingers. His parents must be real proud of him.

I moved to Toms River from north jersey 27 years ago and it was like a paradise in comparison. Icant believe what has happened to that town now. Driving down 37 now looks like linden or rahway or even elizabeth did in the 80,s. The grafitti,garbage all over the roads, the street walkers, empty buildings,trailer parks,section 8 motels, gangs are you kidding me? what the hell happened to this great little shore town? Very very sad. Yet i have friends that still live there and dont seem to notice the change. I GUESS you dont realize it until you leave there and come back. What a damn shame. You guys need to take back that town if its not to late.

Alllllright, Let's start with you,how'bout you pack up your things and move back up north. all you mud heads from up north come down here during the summer and decide to live here year round. thinking how nice it will be, that's all well and good but, everything you try to get away from, you bring with you. Traffic, crime, gangs, ugly houses! every thing cool about this area has been ruined by you people. the whole original character of this area has been obliterated, to revisit it we have to go to a museum. Then you try to pass yourselves off as being a local, saying "my family has summer house here for 20 years". You're not. you'll never be. All of the places locals used to call our own have all been over run by you Bennies trying desparately to blend in, and now we have what you see before you . North Jersey is the reason this area is what it is now. You are what has happened to "this great little shore town"

@Ballantine...HOLY CRAP!! THANK YOU...THANK YOU FOR SAYING IT ALL, EVEN THE UGLY HOUSES PART!!!

Well said Ballantine

Between the BENNIES who 'forgot" to leave and the Lakewood overflow. This town is doomed. I also can't forget the Union Beach Trash that moved in a few doors from me that are selling drugs on my street. YES, I've called the police but they take forever to come and really don't give a damn.

We who live in Toms River do not consider it a "great little shore town". It is a thriving suburban township that is the county seat, is fortunate enough to be protected by a very fine police department (you guys rock...thanks for putting yourselves in harm's way for us every day), has one of the best smaller library systems IN THE COUNTRY, and in general encompasses the BEST aspects of New Jersey. However, like every other area in the nation, we also have the toxicity of drugs, gangs, burglaries, violence and even the occasional murder. These conditions persist no matter what anyone does, and they will as long the drug market is enormous, the bad economy exists, disaffected young adults believe their family is their gang, and evil exists in man. Others stuck in urban areas dream of living in a place like TR. If I had to do it all over again, I'd still choose to live here, which I always have. Compare it to other places. Is it perfect? No. But it's still a wonderful place to live and raise a family.

@ i don't get it?? I've got plenty more. How 'bout the "Tube Race" in Point Beach, it started out as an event for locals to have some fun after the Bennies were gone, and now it's nothing but Bennies in the race now . We had a large influx of Staten Islanders after 9-11, and they won't go away, hands down, some of the most rude, annoying & obnoxious people I've ever encountered.Drug related crimes,violent crimes, break-ins. are all on the rise here on the south side of the river .First I had 30 gallons of gas siphoned from my truck. One month later my truck was broken into by druggie punks looking for cash,to score some Meth or heroin or oxy, they didn't find any cash so they took my camera with a dead battery. In the grand scheme of things it wasn't that bad, but what is going to happen next.

We need a concealed carry law in NJ. Nothing will scare the crap out of the little punks like a Sig Sauer staring them in the face!

a concealed carry law in NJ? That ain't gonna happen. For home security, the sound of a pump action shot gun being engaged would make 'em think twice too.

Hey Ballantine, didnt your mother ever teach you, if you dont have something nice to say, then say nothing at all??? Guess not, obviously born and raised in this area...no manners, no consideration and ignorant comments. You dont need to preach you are from this area, its totally obvious.

Mom, Dad (individually or collectively): What is your 14 yeard old son doing out at 2 AM? - Be proud of your son and more importantly, be proud of yourselves - HELLO !!

Those of us born and raised here, used to have a lot of manners, to the point that when I would travel, and mention where I was from people didn't believe me because their perception of NJ, was gangsters, bullies, and rudeness that they had come across while visiting northern NJ towns that tried to portray themselves as suburbs of NY...NOT all of northern NJ is like that, NOT all of the people are like that, however those of us who are from here, have unfortunately had to deal with a Large group of the "jersey shore" type crowd from way back when whether it be at our jobs, on our roads, or moving into our neighborhoods, and this is why we feel this way...if these people that I'm speaking of, and again, its not ALL of them, just moved in, and blended in peacefully without trying to show off, or show us up, it probably would eliminate a lot of these feelings.
Ok, true point @Chi-man-fu...HELLO, PARENTS...14 YEAR OLD OUT ROAMING THE STREETS AT 2 A.M., REALLY???!!! ANOTHER WELL DONE PARENTING JOB...
To those of you bashing Ballantine...those who live in glass houses...
And to TRPD...thank you again for another job well done...God help my kids if ever you were to bring them home @ any time of day with stolen property.

The kid crook with a knife is a good candidate for NRA membership when he gets out of jail. Then -- watch out, Ballentine and Bluebeam!

I agree totally with Ballantine & Chu-Man-Fu!!! and you know that commercial that comes on before the news its 10PM do you know where your children are? Well apparently, these parents don't...SHAMEFUL...You can't blame the kid; Kids are products of their parents...Where is the disipline???

Makes one wonder why his parents did not know that a 14 year old was out and about at 2:00 AM...............

sure wish we could know who this kid is so I can make certain my kids stay miles away. If you are going to act like an adult criminal, everyone should know your name.

Publish that he lives on "the X-hundred block of ----- St." and everyone will know. It would serve him right.

The Lenape Indians might have a different view of the Bennies go home diatribe.....

What is a Bennie? I tried googling it but no results? I really like the Toms River Area when I visit my daughter. People seem to be much more courteous drivers and friendlier than where I'm from in Central Jersey.

Patty its a great place. Raised three great kids here started a business 18 years ago thats thriviing. When theres good theres bad.Its how you live your life that matters.

B_E_N_N_Y Bergen, Edison, Newark, New York

Released to his parents ???? the same parents who let this 14 yr old be out @ 2am with a knife ?????? Maybe he told his parents he wanted to get to school a little early to study ! <><

Bayonee= Bayonne, Elizabeth, Newark, New York. The name comes from the guys who worked on the trains that came down here from North Jersey, NY. They called all of the luggage (on the trains) from these areas the "Benny" luggage and the name stuck.

Sorry.. BENNY=

100% correct hoops

I would have to agree. With the whole benny problem. I was born and raised in TR. 33 years! And every summer we cringe at all the trash that comes to our town. Benny go home is so true. I uses to be able to walk the boardwalk (at night)with my friends being a young teenager and there was no cause for alarm. Now I would never even go there during the day! Its unfortunate that the surrounding towns
welcome the trash! Either from the businesses making money (if they don't actually steal stuff) or the police raking in the cash from arrests and fines. Either way, it never used to be this bad years ago. So thanks alot bennies! It is your fault!

Just dont understand why these punks are "released to their parents" when they should be sitting in Juvenile Detention Center. Just dont get it.

Very funny how so many of these comments have to do with people from other area's coming to live and pay taxes and work and raise their family in Toms River. I am not and never will be a "jersey girl'. I LOVE Toms River the whole area, yes it gets NUTS in the summer and had definitely changed in the last 10 years, these are not residents of the area, they are not transplants they are mostly legal age "21" and up young adults looking for a good time. Granted it's not a Park Ave the crowd but maybe just maybe if consequences fit the crime, things would change. WHERE????? are the responsibilities of the boy's parents????? He should have gone to the juvenial detension center at least for the night, and they should be fined/punished somehow! Area's change, be thankful we are thriving and still a desirable area. The ecomony in general has created alot of the new issues we have to deal with, especially the increased amount of break-in's. Protect your belongings and property to the best of your ability, lock your home, lock your car, look over your shoulder and protect yourself, period!

Ballantine your probably one of the white trash section 8 scumbags that Fed Up was speaking about. If you know how to read look into the Crime Census report. Majority of Crimes are from people who have been in this town 10 or more years. Now not to many people have been born and raised here I am sure you werent. Now if you really know anything about this town you would know that Toms River rates 5th in section 8 credits, thats means only Newark,Camden,Elizabeth and Jersey City have more section 8 credits. So if the scumbags of Toms River would get Jobs and not live off of the govt. this would be a great town. And on another note if it wasnt for people who vacation here in the summer alot of people would not have jobs nor would businesses survive. So Ballantine when you open your mouth know what your talking about there clamdigger.....lol...lol...lol...lol...lol

Vulvan,
First off not a section 8 recipient , not a scumbag either. Business owner yes, I Googled your so called "Crime Census Report" and nothing with that exact heading came back. Care to post the link so I can see what info you are sourcing to substantiate your claim and not spewing B.S.? Which locals here view as one of a benny's defining characteristics. But then, I really don't care because it does not have anything to do with a 14 year old caught at 2 AM with a knife and a wallet that did not belong to him. Not that the phrase "section 8" really has much to do with this discussion except that you keyed in on it, and made it the basis of your off base post. It's just your misguided assumption that the boy's family was getting state assistance. Nowhere in the article does it state that, you tool.Also your comment about " the scumbags of Toms River get jobs and not live off of the govt. is weak as well. Not every one on state aid is a scumbag, but reading your words definitely confirms you are. Because you live in a town for "10 years or more" does not make you a local which backs up one of my comments in my first post on how you North Jersey rejects think.To help you with your comprehension problem, when people here refer themselves as locals it is widely understood that the person was born here and raised here.

Vulvan,
So where did you get the idea that "not many locals live here". That is total fabrication mud head, and so is your comment on"people who vacation here in the summer"(Bennies). That claim has never been true, another fabrication. Believe me we would be so much better off on many levels. without you A-Holes coming down here So what's worse is that mental midgets like you and "Fed Up" are telling us it is our fault! Which is why I went Off on" Fed Up" in the first place. Bugger Off! Toms River is still rated as a safe town. What we locals are concerned about is the up tick in crimes since 2006, and it turning into another north jersey S-hole. I am glad to be called a Clammdigger there is no negative connotation there,like there is with Benny. If you go back and read "idont get it's" second post is very accurate. We are just tired of being shat on by you inconsiderate tools. You're the one who doesn't know what they are talking about . Oh yeah, looks like i can read,write AND comprehend pretty well,much better than you!

Vulvan,
Sorry about your rectal- cranial inversion I hear it's uncureable.

Just a few observations...the article never mentioned BENNY's; the juvenile was a local, NOT a BENNY & I doubt his parents were aware that he probably sneaked out in the middle of the night; the gentleman from Alfred Lane that had his wallet stolen may be a BENNY but he takes much better care of his property than all the LOCALS on the street. Yes, I did indeed say locals...those would be the trash that give the human race a bad name, have been here since birth, never finished HS at HS East, etc. But I digress....the article wasn't about BENNY's, or LOCALS but about a 14 yr old delinquent who broke into several cars & was caught, & a lucky person who actually got his wallet back!

Residents have to TAKE OUR TOWN BACK! Start by locking your homes and vehicles, talking to other concerned residents and starting a Neighborhood Watch. Let's look out for for each other. Call 732-349-0150 (police non-emergency number) and report suspicious strangers and vehicles.

90% of local crimes are to support drug habits. Most burglaries happen in daytime, when people aren't home. Robberies of gas stations and stores happen at night. Either way, support our cops by being their extra eyes and ears -- and telling the mayor and council we demand more police officers be hired. That's more important than wasting millions of our tax dollars on their pet projects.