MURRAY — Skateboarding has become a crime.
Because of continued property damage in city parks and the dangers of skateboards and in-line skates, the City Council has passed an ordinance making these activities an infraction in various public places. An infraction is the lowest violation possible, carrying a maximum $750 fine and no jail time.
The new law was requested by the Murray Parks and Recreation Department, although Park Superintendent Kim Sorenson said in a memo that the city was not trying to "eliminate skating in the parks. Skaters are welcome in areas where they are not a nuisance to other park users and where skating does not create property damage."
Skating has damaged a number of park facilities, especially picnic pavilions, Sorenson said. Additionally, some skaters become belligerent when asked to leave the area, and some will harass people who have reserved the pavilions.
Without the law, park staff and police officers have little power to stop skating, Sorenson said. At best, the police can cite the skaters for trespassing on public property, a ticket that does not fit the crime and is difficult to prosecute.
Although the council approved the new law unanimously, not all of the members agreed with the idea of making a physical activity primarily done by teenagers a crime. Some of them said that instead of punishing skaters, the city should look at ways for them to safely practice their sport, such as at a skatepark.
"I would like to see if we have other alternatives," Councilman John Christensen said. "We should punish the vandals, not all of the children."
Police Chief Ken Killian said that the law would affect only the small minority of skaters who vandalize city and school property, and would not punish the ones who skate with respect for other people and property. Even with a skate park, there would still be some skaters in the pavilions and school playgrounds, and those are the ones the city should punish.
"It's not the young man who skates in his neighborhood or at a friend's backyard ramp," he said. "This says public places . . . because of the vandalism."
E-mail: jloftin@desnews.com