ARE YOU CONTRIBUTING TO THE DELINQUENCY
OF A MINOR?
This is a
three billion dollar a year industry! Adult industry and government
are making money off these children. Think about it for a minute...
Manufacturers market their product to the kids, it is advertised
in the magazines and on TV, sold in the stores, government and
cities collect sales tax from the stores and manufacturers and
the child purchases his dream... helmet, pads, a skateboard or
in-line skates and a couple of videos and the next thing you know
he is arrested! The police write a ticket (usually same fee as
jay-walking) and the city collects more fees and these kids get
multiple tickets ....... then they get an attitude. They spend
their days fleeing authority figures and they grow up on the streets.
They are usually 10-11 yr. old when they start. By the time they
are 12-14 yr. they are hard for the police to catch. These were
not at risk youth when they started, they were little kids.
Cities and
municipalities have an obligation to their communities to provide
safe places for their youth to skate. It is an investment in their
future. When children are looked after and cared for by adults
they grow up into responsible, caring adults. That is a known
fact and that is why we have parks & rec programs. As responsible
adults we cannot turn our backs on these kids. So what do we do
now?
" Designate
land or a building for a skatepark: if you think that you don't
have any to spare, ask me about the eminent domain act - a city
can seize abandoned railroad land for their use - this land is
quite suitable for skating needs. But you may need to do a feasibility
study. " Get it approved... sometimes this is difficult... don't
give up. " We have a list of qualified contractors and designers
to help you build your park you will need anywhere from $25,000
- $250,000 depending on the size and design we can help you with
almost anything including insurance!
Some cities
require that the youth raise some or all of the funds for the
park. If your city has no funds and it has been your pattern to
require the basketball or baseball players to raise the funds
for their facilities then you may want to go that route. If however
you have funded every other sport and now put your hands in your
pockets, then I think you are being unfair and may be entering
into some civil liberties issues. Ouch! Don't you hate it when
I bring that up.
Some cities
partner with a private group, they provide the land/building and
the group builds and manages the park. This can be a win/win situation.
Your concerns would be that the park is affordable for the immediate
neighborhood youth and you may have to work out something with
the park to provide scholarships. You also need to be sure that
the group is qualified to work with children. I would advise background
checks for all staff and encourage the city to stay involved on
some level.
GOOD LUCK
!!!
Heidi Lemmon
SkatePark Association USA
310-453-7855
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