skaters busted at skatepark in Utah

**skategeezer** · 03-17-2008 07:13 AM

Sandy police won't let criminals skate

By Paul Rolly
Tribune Columnist
Article Last Updated: 03/07/2008 01:21:16 AM MST

Click photo to enlarge

Paul Rolly

The Sandy City police last week busted about 15 "hardened criminals" who now are on their way to face the music in court, thanks to the efforts of the Mighty Mounties of Soccerville.
The lawbreakers: Mostly junior high school kids whose offense against society was (drum roll, please) skateboarding in a skateboarding park.
Because Friday was a teacher preparation day in the Jordan School District, the students had the day off. So several parents took their kids to Lone Peak Park in Sandy for an hour of skateboarding.
The city Web site says the park is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., but when the kids arrived, the gate was locked. So they hopped over it.
When park attendants showed up to clean the grounds and found the kids, instead of just sending them home, they called the police.
The kids were all cited for criminal trespass and now are facing juvenile court, where they could end up with a criminal record.

**supergildo** · 03-17-2008 07:21 AM

sounds like major bullshit but it might have something to do with an insurance policy before people really start to jump on the anti cop bandwagon...

**onthespoke** · 03-17-2008 08:22 AM

Haha, that's funny.
The absurdity is the best part of it all. It's just like recreational parks around here- one night i took a friend of mine to a park used to play youth soccer in ( a park consisting of four soccer fields, that's it) at night to watch the stars. That's all we were doing. I swear. And of course we get kicked out for being in a public park after dark? Lame.
Ordinances like that are goofy.

**mangels** · 03-17-2008 08:27 AM

Something similar to that happened to me once. I'm really in to astronomy, and my sweetie and I had pulled over on a dark, rural road one beautiful, clear night. We were laying in the bed of my pickup truck looking up at the stars and I was impressing her with my knowledge of the constellations and star names. A police car rolls up and the officer shines his flashlite on us and tells us we shouldn't be doing what we're doing. I tried to explain what we were doing, but he wouldn't believe me.

**BergaLiden** · 03-17-2008 08:43 AM

America - land of freedom.

I'll promise to make a thread every time it happens here in Sweden

**supergildo** · 03-17-2008 10:08 AM

Originally Posted by BergaLiden

America - land of freedom.

I'll promise to make a thread every time it happens here in Sweden

dude your country blows. 8)

**J Griff** · 03-17-2008 10:15 AM

im glad i dont live in sweden

**Gecko** · 03-17-2008 10:27 AM

The other evening I drove over to a small skatepark to see what was going on. Two kids, maybe 10 to 12 were going to skate, but the gate was locked. Naturally they hopped the fence. At first I thought that was pretty cool and I sat in my Jeep and ate my Hostess pie and drank my Monster drink. (I was going to mingle with the skate kids, I had to eat like one.)

As I was sitting there, I got to think about how much it would suck to have to hop over a 10 foot fence with a broken arm or twisted ankle. I must be getting old.

**Mister Surly** · 03-17-2008 10:34 AM

Originally Posted by mangels

Something similar to that happened to me once. I'm really in to astronomy, and my sweetie and I had pulled over on a dark, rural road one beautiful, clear night. We were laying in the bed of my pickup truck looking up at the stars and I was impressing her with my knowledge of the constellations and star names. A police car rolls up and the officer shines his flashlite on us and tells us we shouldn't be doing what we're doing. I tried to explain what we were doing, but he wouldn't believe me.

It's tough to explain anything with your pants down. "Now this here .... this is
the big dipper ...."

**supergildo** · 03-17-2008 10:41 AM

Originally Posted by Gecko

The other evening I drove over to a small skatepark to see what was going on. Two kids, maybe 10 to 12 were going to skate, but the gate was locked. Naturally they hopped the fence. At first I thought that was pretty cool and I sat in my Jeep and ate my Hostess pie and drank my Monster drink. (I was going to mingle with the skate kids, I had to eat like one.)

As I was sitting there, I got to think about how much it would suck to have to hop over a 10 foot fence with a broken arm or twisted ankle. I must be getting old.

hahaha, man I totally relate to this one....

**skully** · 03-17-2008 10:51 AM

Interesting.

At my local skatepark (in Utah) they have the hours posted. I'm not sure what time it opens in the morning, but closing is at "dusk" (Which is a little stupid, since the park has lights, but anyway, I digress).

As long as the weather is good, they hardly ever even show up to lock the gate as far as I have seen.

So, I wonder. If someone breaks the "rules" and is there after dusk, or before "official" opening time, will the "MAN" press charges, even if the perps didn't hop the fence (just walked through the open gate....)?

DISCLAMER: Not saying I would EVER break the "rules"......

**GravityRider15** · 03-17-2008 10:53 AM

damn. everyone just hops back in when the skatepark by me closes

**cw_intern** · 03-17-2008 11:48 AM

yeah in america they are big idiots about the whole skateboarding scene. they have a totally wrong perception of skateboarders and think all of us are crack dealers and we should all go to jail. when truely we are pretty respectful, and mind our own business and jsut skate.
i guess they didnt get that memo yet

**Ogre** · 03-17-2008 12:05 PM

Not to start an uproar... but damm boyz, If you were to go to the 24 hour store to grab something, and the doors were locked..would you turn and walk away? Or would you gain entry because it said it was open 24 hrs? come on...get real! The kids did what we think is natural, no "real" crime i'm sure they will be slapped on the wrist and nothing more. Why, when it concerns skaters do we get all in an uproar?
suck it!
Best of luck to the kids! I'm sure they'll be fine!

**J Griff** · 03-17-2008 12:13 PM

Originally Posted by cw_intern

yeah in america they are big idiots about the whole skateboarding scene. they have a totally wrong perception of skateboarders and think all of us are crack dealers and we should all go to jail. when truely we are pretty respectful, and mind our own business and jsut skate.
i guess they didnt get that memo yet

i sort of disagree with that.
A) i've never personally met anti-skateboarding people
B) the people who are have reason to be because some skaters think its cool to break ####, vandalize ####, and harass people.

**cw_intern** · 03-17-2008 12:18 PM

what i meant by the "people" i didnt mean the general public
i meant the authourities

**Pat S** · 03-17-2008 12:20 PM

this has happened to me before at the local skate park but I got away without the trespassing charge. They did put my name in though so if I get caught again I'll get charged with trespassing.