Skateboard Ordinance to Be Considered

The City Council is scheduled tonight to introduce a tough new ordinance regulating skateboarding.

The move comes after months of complaints about dangerous and destructive acts by skateboarders in the downtown area and at some school grounds.

Last week, three vandalism suspects were arrested and accused of causing $5,000 in damage to the city’s downtown parking garage. All three suspects are skateboarders, police said.

Police have been attempting to crack down on skateboarders in the downtown area in recent months and reportedly causing some resentment among teen-age skateboarders.

Before last week’s arrest of the three vandalism suspects, police had theorized that graffiti painted on the parking structure may have been linked to skateboarders’ resentment against the crackdown.

However, some skateboarders argue they are being unfairly harassed by police and merchants because of a few irresponsible people. “We get booted from everywhere nowadays,” said Aaron Devine, 19, of Huntington Beach, who added that he and his friends have to search for isolated places to ride in order to avoid trouble from authorities. “It’s almost so much of a hassle that it makes you not want to do it.”

Anthony Kuybus, 15, of Maywood said he, too, used to ride his skateboard in downtown Huntington Beach, until merchants started to complain. “Store owners would throw us out,” said Anthony, whose father sometimes drives him and his friends to other areas so they can skate without problems. “I just like to skate, and I think they should make a skateboarding park down here if they don’t like us tearing up the property.”

In a memo to the City Council, Police Chief Ronald E. Lowenberg said: “Under the existing (city) code, a police officer must have a complaining party who is willing to act as a complainant before a citation (against a skateboarder) can be issued.” He said the change would allow police to issue citations to skateboarders without the necessity of a citizen complaint.

The proposed change would also prohibit skateboards in commercial areas, including downtown sidewalks. Skateboarders would be allowed only in residential-zoned areas of the city.

Skateboarders say the proposed ordinance is unfair. “Using a skateboard is like using a bike,” Devine said. “It’s like any other machinery used for transportation, if someone on a bike does something wrong are (the council members) going to start banning all bikes from downtown?”