SUN: Ocean City residents raise alarm over late-night ‘pop-up mobs’

OCEAN CITY, Md. (WBFF) — Ocean City resident Michael Bell says his 20-year-old granddaughter was driving home from work on Coastal Highway last week around midnight when a late-night “pop-up mob” surrounded her car, prompting him to urge town officials to crack down on the gatherings.

“They popped up on the street. They were banging on their car. She’s 20 years old. And this is at 12 o’clock at night,” Bell told the City Council on Monday night. “I just want you to be aware that this is not a good situation people are concerned about it.”

City officials said they are aware of the issue, and Police Chief Raymond Austin is expected to brief the council soon. The discussion comes after Ocean City spent weeks preparing for social media-promoted “takeover” events ahead of the Fourth of July holiday, then reported a busy but largely violence-free weekend.

City Manager Terry McGean said “pop-ups” differ from the “takeovers” Ocean City has warned about in recent weeks, though both involve technology that can quickly draw large groups to a small area.

Read the full story on The Baltimore Sun.