Disorderly conduct at the Village Skate Park is not a unique problem.
At least two other area municipalities have also dealt with similar issues, with varying results.
The Clio Skate Park has had problems since it opened about five years ago, says Clio Police Chief Jim McLellan.
At first, it was liability issues. From a risk management standpoint, officials of the 1-square mile city located in northern Genesee County with a population of 2,653 were concerned about injuries. Signs now indicate that it is a skate at your own risk park. Bikes are not allowed.
‘The problem is, they damage and gouge the park and when skaters hit it, they can fall,? says McLellan.
Other issues include skaters cutting through the fence to get in, smoking, drug and alcohol use, graffiti and fights.
The park was opened to give kids a place to skate instead of the downtown, where it is not allowed, but that has not been eliminated with the opening of the park.
‘The problem is, we have people from other communities bring their kids here and drop them off for the day and they get bored and skate downtown. We confiscate skateboards.?
Clio has increased police patrols, including officers on bicycles, the only way to get control and resolve the problems, says McLellan.
He notes the positive side is having the skate park has given the kids who follow the rules somewhere to go.
‘When we didn’t have the skate park, they were all over town and when the park is closed, we get complaints about that,? he said. ‘It seems the skate park becomes the day care center sometimes. It’s here, so we deal with it.?
The skate park in Burton, located just south of Flint with a population of 30,926, has been open for about three years, located adjacent to a residential area on the grounds of Bendle High School.
Burton Councilmember Jamie Curtis says issues they have faced include noise, litter, and people using it after dark.
They looked at a number of solutions, including putting a rubber coating over the track to quiet it down and installing a closed circuit camera on the school roof. But what worked was fencing the park and increasing the police patrols.
‘The police presence was a good deterrent,? says Curtis. ‘The problems weren’t from locals, they were from outside influences? people from Flint and out of town. When the police showed their presence, a lot of it went away. It was a very organized effort to minimize problems and we went at it full force.?
Curtis also notes that communication throughout the community is key and parents need to be aware of their children’s whereabouts.
‘Do you know where your children are?? he asks. ‘After 9 or 10, your children should be in your house and you should know where they’re at. Officials try to bring good things to the community, but you need support from families and parents and members of the community.?