The skateboarders, most of whom were cited for not wearing helmets, can avoid a fine by taking a city class and staying out of the park for 12 weeks.
Patterson Police Services received an anonymous call just after 2:30 p.m. Tuesday notifying police that several people in the new Patterson Skate Park were skating without helmets, Sgt. John Walker said.
When deputies arrived, they counted more than 20 skaters without helmets and chased after a trio leaving the park toward the nearby McDonald’s restaurant at Ward and Sperry avenues, he said. After they wrote citations for those skateboarders, they returned to the skate park to write another 10 citations for the remaining skaters for failing to use helmets.
Outside of two diversion citations written to two skaters who got into a fight a week ago, this is the first time that citations have been handed out since the skate park reopened Sept. 16, Walker said. Police have been stopping by routinely to remind skaters to use their helmets, he said.
All skaters, regardless of age, must wear helmets inside the park, according to Patterson Municipal Code. Violators cited by police are placed into a mandatory diversion program that carries a 12-week suspension from the park and requires a class administered by the Patterson Chief of Police to be completed. Failure to complete the diversion program can result in a suspension from the park for one year. A second violation of park rules including helmet use can carry a $100 fine and a third or more carries a $250 fine.
Walker said there is no excuse for not wearing a helmet, as Patterson’s Parks and Recreation Department has more than 100 helmets on hand to be checked out from the Hammon Senior Center across the parking lot in the same complex.
I guess what everyone is wondering is this: Is the city going to enforce the rules? Was the money wasted on the video equipment? And, why in the world did they close the park if they have no intentions of enforcing the rules they did put in place.
When the first lawsuit comes, and with the documented lack of enforcement of the rules, it will, we, the citizens of Patterson will be on the hook for a lot of money.
In order to cut the chances of that happening, the city NEEDS TO ENFORCE THE RULES!!
The city has set the precedence that the rules don't mean a thing and when a lawsuit comes about, they won't be able to claim there were rules in place.
Way to go city management, put our money at risk yet again. Thanks Annette.
It doesn't matter who they work for, public safety officials should be looking after the safety of all individuals.
There are quite a few people who are curious how much was spent opn the video equipment since it isn't being used. There are kids, and adults, out there every night, skating without helmets. EVERY NIGHT.
The complaint that everyone has is that the city created a set of rules without even thinking about enforcing them. WHy spend the money on video surveillance if there is absolutely no intent to use it. It is just another example of the waste and abuse that those in power continue to commit.
The park was closed for a period of time because it was rushed through without proper planning. The planning was done, the rules created, only to open without any actual plans for enforcing the rules.
We can't wait to see how you bungle the plans for the teen center.
Funnier every time you post!
http://youtu.be/uR7q5J6RleU
If city workers wont even enforce the rules then its pretty obvious that we were lied to about this entire project, its rules and who knows what else. Oh well what did you expect?"
Actually those are paramedics and they do not work for the City.
http://youtu.be/rxTM7NdJkcY
http://youtu.be/EM8RHv1ytBw
theres even a video of what appears to be fireman eating ice cream while watching the skaters with no helmets on.
http://youtu.be/uR7q5J6RleU
If city workers wont even enforce the rules then its pretty obvious that we were lied to about this entire project, its rules and who knows what else. Oh well what did you expect?
Friday evening at about 8:45PM, there were 10 skaters with zero helments. Saturday evening, at about 9:00PM, 8 skaters with zero helmets. Last night, Sunday, 12 skaters, one little girl with her daddy, and one pogo-stick kid, all without helmets. The little girl, as she was riding her skateboard without a helmet was proud of her riding skills as she yelled "Look daddy, I am skateboarding."
Also witnessed at least one of the cited kids, still riding without a helmet and not at all absent from the park for 12 weeks.
Were the safety rules created just for pretend, so that those in power could claim that they did their job? Even if it was just lip service and they have no intention of enforcement? One visit by the police doesn't show any desire to enforce the rules.
What is the city going to do when they are hit with a big lawsuit when a kid is seriously hurt? They won't be able to wash their hands of the law by saying that everyong that skates does so on their own accord. Not if they don't enforce the rules that are in place. A few cities have lost those lawsuits, because they didn't enforce the rules.
Common sense needs to prevail.