Police, city council members debate how to control disturbances at skateboard park
City officials are back to talking about security measures at the skateboard park in Fairgrounds Park after disturbances have started up there again.
Last October, shortly after the skatepark opened, the Hagerstown Police Department said it responded there about 20 times, and two of the instances were for large disturbances which forced authorities to close Fairgrounds Park early.
During one of the disturbances, juveniles jumped on cars, an officer was struck with a bike, two officers were hit with rocks and a juvenile used a bike to block people from leaving the park.
Hagerstown Police Chief Paul Kifer told Hagerstown City Council members at the time that the people who caused the problems were not skateboarders, BMX riders or rollerbladers, but "another faction" bent on causing trouble at the skatepark.
Councilman Kristin Aleshire talked at the time about installing a fence around the skatepark, but Councilwoman Shelley McIntire opposed it. Aleshire said a fence is not so much about trying to keep trouble out of the skatepark but increasing safety around it, particularly for individuals with disabilities.
He noted other facilities in the park that are fenced, like a dog park, BMX track, inline skate oval, and softball fields.
What is happening at the skatepark now?
In a May 10 memo to City Administrator Scott Nicewarner, city Public Works Director Eric Deike said there have been incidents of motorcycle riders and others harassing users of the skatepark. He floated the idea of fencing or placement of large rocks around the skatepark to prevent motorcycles from entering the skate area.
Previously: 'Pretty substantial issues': Hagerstown deals with disturbances at new skatepark
During a city council work session last week, Deike said the problems seem to have decreased recently, and McIntire said she wondered if the police department's use of drones to catch people riding dirt bikes illegally on city streets has played a part.
Kifer, who was at the meeting, said he thinks the use of drones to curb illegal dirt-bike riding is helping to improve conditions at Fairgrounds Park. As a result of the department's crackdown on dirt bikes, Kifer said the department has arrested several juveniles who appear to be "ring leaders" of some of the issues at Fairgrounds Park.
As of Tuesday, the juveniles were being detained and as a result, Kifer said he's noticed that "the temperature in the whole community has really dropped off."
What is the city doing to control problems at the park?
Nicewarner said he was at the skatepark recently and saw young bicycle riders using a hill by the skatepark to "launch" into the skating area, which features straightaways, bowls, rails, steps and other configurations.
He suggested the placement of decorative stone or some other material around parts of the skatepark to discourage the dangerous riding.
Aleshire returned to the idea of placing something next to sections of the skatepark, like a hedgerow or a line of trees. He said he thinks it's important to carefully manage the skatepark to protect the community's investment in it and ensure that people who come there to ride have a positive experience.
"I feel like were revisiting this about every four months in (the skatepark's) very short life cycle so far on those two issues," Aleshire said.
Despite the problems, members of a task force who helped develop the skatepark told the council and Mayor Tekesha Martinez that they are impressed by the atmosphere at the skatepark. Riders are generally courteous to each other and the recent issues are nowhere near dangerous environments that have popped up in skateparks in other communities.
Nicewarner said Hagerstown's skatepark is getting positive attention around the region and it "should not be tainted by some of these knuckleheads."
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Hagerstown City Council members briefed on disturbances at skate park
