Detroit Council to consider crackdown on skateboarders

Buy American · February-21-12, 10:09 AM

This is unbelieveable. They will spend hours debating how to address skateboarding while some of the residents of Detroit are killing each other.

WHERE ARE THEIR PRIORITIES????

http://www.freep.com/article/20120220/NEWS01/120220052/Detroit-City-Council-consider-crackdown-skateboarding-

**Hypestyles** · February-21-12, 10:14 AM

hopefully this proposal will get dropped quickly, especially considering current city events of late.

**dmike76** · February-21-12, 10:16 AM

I know. I shook my head at this too. Who cares about skateboarders? How about the thieves, muggers, and murderers. Jeez I love this city but sometimes its leaders have their heads sooooo far up their @sses....it drives me CRAZY.

**Detroitnerd** · February-21-12, 10:17 AM

This is another revenue move, pure and simple. Like the booting of cars around destinations suburbanites favor. [[Don't get me wrong; we all know who's more likely to pay to get their car back.) Or like busting dance parties when they think they are likely to be able to issue lots of fines and tow away cars to BT. [[Kids' stuff, but the parents can pay it off.) Think about it: Who are the people you see skateboarding downtown? They look like ripe pickin's for some tickets, if you see life through Detroit's revenue-starved mind-set.

**Wheels** · February-21-12, 10:22 AM

Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

This is another revenue move, pure and simple. Like the booting of cars around destinations suburbanites favor. [[Don't get me wrong; we all know who's more likely to pay to get their car back.) Or like busting dance parties when they think they are likely to be able to issue lots of fines and tow away cars to BT. [[Kids' stuff, but the parents can pay it off.) Think about it: Who are the people you see skateboarding downtown? They look like ripe pickin's for some tickets, if you see life through Detroit's revenue-starved mind-set.

Do you really think they could write enough tickets to justify the cost of the officers and court fees to enforce this?

Buy American · February-21-12, 10:29 AM

Revenue move? Maybe you are right, but today or next week isn't the time to worry about giving some kid a $25 ticket for skateboarding down some stairs in Detroit. Also, it would take thousands of tickets to generate revenue for Detroit.

It takes the police precious time to get to scenes where peoples lives are in jeopardy, where on earth will they get the police to hand out tickets for minor infractions?
My point is that these people on the Clowncil [[sorry, but I'm back to that word again) don't show the residents of Detroit any type of good leadership. There is no confidence in this group any longer. There are much more pressing things to discuss than skateboarding, and for it to even make the paper this morning is almost an insult to those who are losing loved ones because of gang violence. Give the police what they need to get these thugs off the streets and locked up!

**midtown313** · February-21-12, 10:32 AM

Originally Posted by Buy American

http://www.freep.com/article/20120220/NEWS01/120220052/Detroit-City-Council-consider-crackdown-skateboarding-

This is unbelieveable. They will spend hours debating how to address skateboarding while some of the residents of Detroit are killing each other.

WHERE ARE THEIR PRIORITIES????

I agree, there are more pressing issues the city is facing...how about getting the street lights on!!

**ResurgetCineribus** · February-21-12, 10:37 AM

Did I wake up back in the 1990s today? We still think extreme sports are a menace? I could have swore we realized these kids can be turned into an asset for a community. Did we just forget?

**Enduro** · February-21-12, 12:25 PM

Finally! In the last 5 years I've seen at least 10 skateboarders terrorizing this immaculate, crime-free city. If they could get a hold on this problem the city would be perfected and all our problems would be solved.

Unbelievable.

**Detroitnerd** · February-21-12, 12:31 PM

All I said was this was a bid for revenue.

I didn't mean to say that city council was intelligent, or that this was a good revenue-producing plan.

**jt1** · February-21-12, 12:44 PM

Originally Posted by Buy American

http://www.freep.com/article/20120220/NEWS01/120220052/Detroit-City-Council-consider-crackdown-skateboarding-

This is unbelieveable. They will spend hours debating how to address skateboarding while some of the residents of Detroit are killing each other.

WHERE ARE THEIR PRIORITIES????

Where does it say they will debate for 'hours'. You also ignore this piece, " following complaints that skateboarders are at times reckless and damaging to public property."

If this is a short discussion, an ordinance is banned and officers that are assigned to these areas give tickets then so be it. Obviously you don't spend a lot of time downtown because these little punks [[not all boarders obviously) have torn up railings, park benches, decorative stone, etc.

If anything I think they should make the fine as high as replacement for destroyed property.

If there is an issue with how police resources are used then the complaint should be taken to DPD. Putting an ordinance on the books that allows the officers to ticket people destroying public property is not a bad thing. If DPD leadership actually used officers effectively they would not have time to write tickets but sadly they do.

They also apparently have time to direct traffic for every tigers home game [[usually dozens of them assigned to this), call in sick [[at a rate of 20%), etc.

I would advocate a Council ordinance that dictates priority on hos DPD officers are used [[if they have that power) but there is nothing wrong with putting this ordinance on the books given the amount of things that boarders have destroyed.

**Gannon** · February-21-12, 12:58 PM

When I used to jog downtown regularly, there were a few skateboarders I would've recommended be shot on sight. They were the ones viewing the world as their half-pipe, destroying the marble on the UAW Stargate monument and other edges in Hart Plaza.

Most of them seemed great, but there were a few who were total bozos.

As with most things, the worst ones make it bad for everyone. How to single 'em out and actually solve the problem without discriminating against an entire class of individuals?!

There is your Clownsil debate...

Cheers!

**bailey** · February-21-12, 01:00 PM

Pretty disingenuous posts from many of you that continually post screeds about how detroit should implement a "broken windows campaign" and go after the petty stuff because of the theory that if you stop the petty stuff, that somehow stops the escalation of worse crimes.

So, they go and try to stop the petty stuff...and then you all bitch about how unfair it is.

Clearly many of you have no problem with bored suburban teens having free reign to shit all over the city with their destructive, entitled behavior that would not for one second be tolerated where they live.

**jt1** · February-21-12, 01:01 PM

Originally Posted by Gannon

When I used to jog downtown regularly, there were a few skateboarders I would've recommended be shot on sight. They were the ones viewing the world as their half-pipe, destroying the marble on the UAW Stargate monument and other edges in Hart Plaza.

Most of them seemed great, but there were a few who were total bozos.

As with most things, the worst ones make it bad for everyone. How to single 'em out and actually solve the problem without discriminating against an entire class of individuals?!

There is your Clownsil debate...

Cheers!

Agreed that it needs to be clear. That is why I would advocate that the dollar amount not be set at X but at full replacement cost of what has been maimed or destroyed. I know the marble/granite planters outside the Compuware building just get brutalized by some of the fools. The ones that I have chased off/gotten into it with have the attitude of 'It's Detroit, we can do what we want' and they should be held accountable for full replacement cost of what they destroy.

**One Shot** · February-21-12, 01:20 PM

Comical and who should be surprised. Its one persons dislike of skateboarders that probably started this. I never skated but don't have a problem with them. As long as they arent bouncing off ornate, delicate building structures than who cares. And if they are let the building security or police deal with it-even though that would never happen.

**jt1** · February-21-12, 01:23 PM

Originally Posted by One Shot

Comical and who should be surprised. Its one persons dislike of skateboarders that probably started this. I never skated but don't have a problem with them. As long as they arent bouncing off ornate, delicate building structures than who cares. And if they are let the building security or police deal with it-even though that would never happen.

My assumption, based upon the quote that this was triggered by complaints of destruction of property is what is driving this. I'm all for skateboarders or anyone else being out and about and doing there thing. That changes once someone destroys property and/or breaks the law regardless what they are doing, who they are and where they live.

**Hypestyles** · February-21-12, 01:24 PM

... Where are the skate parks in the city of Detroit? Why hasn't the recreation department explored this, partnered with some outside investors/nonprofits? Invite Tony Hawk and others for some special events. Encourage more urban detroit kids to pursue the activity, instead of getting involved in street gangs, etc.

**trotwood** · February-21-12, 01:38 PM

Originally Posted by Buy American

http://www.freep.com/article/20120220/NEWS01/120220052/Detroit-City-Council-consider-crackdown-skateboarding-

This is unbelieveable. They will spend hours debating how to address skateboarding while some of the residents of Detroit are killing each other.

WHERE ARE THEIR PRIORITIES????

I couldn't have said it better myself!!

**Wheels** · February-21-12, 01:42 PM

What am I missing here?

If they are destroying property why do they have to pass an ordinance to arrest them?

Catch the ones causing the damage an make them pay restitution. Make a few examples and the problem will go away. Its the same issue as with the scrappers. Everyone screams we don't have the resources to stop them. Make a few high visibility examples and it may help.

**SWMAP** · February-21-12, 01:49 PM

Hysterical and pitiful. What similar enforcement is there for the hundreds of street basketball hoops in the City whose users block traffic deliberately and whose rythmic slamming of basketballs against ring and pavement for hours on end disturb any quiet that other residents might hope for. But I guess that skateboarding is not so much done by people who look like them, to use a Joann Watson phrase.

Buy American · February-21-12, 02:14 PM

Originally Posted by Hypestyles

... Where are the skate parks in the city of Detroit? Why hasn't the recreation department explored this, partnered with some outside investors/nonprofits? Invite Tony Hawk and others for some special events. Encourage more urban detroit kids to pursue the activity, instead of getting involved in street gangs, etc.

Haven't you heard....these skateboarders are all "suburban teens" doing the damage. I guess Detroit doesn't have more pressing problems to deal with, like babies getting shot and killed or corrupt politicians.

**Zacha341** · February-21-12, 02:40 PM

Goodness, talk about 'strangling' over gnats while elephants walk thru!

This is one of the silliest new money grabs yet. And there will be so little gained fiscally. What will it take for this town to get a grip on priorities? A child murdered daily?

**Detroit_uke** · February-21-12, 03:00 PM

You really don't think it could get any worse and then this pops up.........

**Gannon** · February-22-12, 12:53 AM

There are more cameras around Hart Plaza than anywhere except perhaps outside the Federal Reserve Bank...save maybe the intersections, but don't get me started on those...so they should already have recorded data to peruse.

I talked with the gents who fixed the base of the Stargate, and watched over them afterwards.

I'll snipe 'em, if the DPD wants to give me a hunting permit. What would a punk pelt be worth nowadays?!

Cheers

**mam2009** · February-22-12, 11:20 AM

Wow! Come on, people. This is just b*tchin' for the sake of b*tchin'. This might be one of the top five dumbest threads ever. If the Council didn't take the time to discuss citizen concerns, they would be accused of not listening to the people. I bet most of you complaining about the Council doing the job they were elected to do -- which includes making laws [[ordinances) are not among those who pay the taxes that support the park benches, railings, etc that are destroyed by some skateboarders. Maybe a new ordinance won't be necessary but that's why the merits of a proposed ordinance get discussed in a public forum in a representative democracy.