'Pretty substantial issues': Hagerstown deals with disturbances at new skatepark

Police have responded to Hagerstown's new skatepark in Fairgrounds Park 20 times since it opened last month, including two times for large disturbances which forced authorities to close the entire 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, according to Hagerstown Police.

What is the city of Hagerstown doing to control the problems?

Hagerstown City Council members discussed the situation Tuesday, when they debated whether the skatepark should be fenced. Hagerstown Police Chief Paul Kifer told council members that the people who caused the problems are not skateboarders, BMX riders or rollerbladers, but "another faction" bent on causing trouble at the skatepark.

The $705,000 skatepark, which features straightaways, bowls, rails, steps and other configurations, opened Sept. 10. Funded through sources such as donations and local government, it follows the operating hours of Fairgrounds Park, which is dawn to dusk.

Kifer told council members that his department has dealt with some "pretty substantial issues" at the skatepark. He didn't go into detail but said several people have been arrested.

In a separate email to Herald-Mail Media on Wednesday, spokesperson Lt. Rebecca Fetchu said police have responded to the skatepark 20 times since it opened.

On Sept. 18, police responded to the facility for a report of a juvenile offering marijuana to kids as young as 10 years old, Fetchu said. The juvenile was "verbally combative" with an officer and was charged with disorderly conduct.

Background:A 'beautiful' design: Hagerstown Skatepark, a challenging project, will open Saturday

As an officer was leaving Fairgrounds Park, people spat on his patrol car, she said.

On Sept. 23, police responded to the skatepark for a large disturbance involving about 20 juveniles who were getting ready to fight. Officers attempted to de-escalate the situation and disperse the individuals, but they refused. A 14-year-old who got in a fight was charged with second-degree assault, Fetchu said.

Verbal altercations continued between the juveniles, and officers ordered them to leave Fairgrounds Park but they refused, she said. Officers and park staff worked for more than an hour to remove the juveniles and close Fairgrounds Park.

The next day, police returned to the skatepark for juveniles jumping on vehicles. Officers were also told that a fight was going to break out and because of a large disturbance, Fairgrounds Park was closed 30 minutes early, Fetchu said.

Two males who had been in the skatepark on the previous day were there again and refused to leave.

One of the males used a bike to block park users from leaving Fairgrounds Park and a 12-year-old struck an officer with a bike. As the 12-year-old boy was being arrested and charged with assault on a police officer, other people surrounded officers and threw rocks at them, Fetchu said.

One officer was hit in the arm and a second one, a new hire who responded to the park with other officers as a ride-along, was hit in the neck by a rock.

As a result, a 13-year-old female was charged with four counts of second-degree assault, disorderly conduct, failure to obey, resisting arrest, and interfering with an arrest.

Why is this happening at the skatepark?

Kifer told council members that members of his department, city parks and recreation staff and members of a former task force that helped develop the skatepark met last week about the incidents. They discussed having members of the former task force being at the skatepark periodically to act as "intermediaries" and report any trouble.

Kifer said trouble has declined at the skatepark, and he attributed it to "brand new situations" with the course. City Public Works Director Eric Deike, who appeared with Kifer, agreed.

Deike said the skatepark is "shiny and new" and "everybody wants to be out there."

"It's just like anything else, you got to work the bugs out when it's new," Deike said.

City officials said the skatepark is being monitored by cameras, which can be viewed at  https://www.hagerstownmd.org/1605/SkatePark. Wednesday afternoon, cameras showed about 20 skaters and bike riders enjoying the skatepark in sunny weather. No crowds were around.

An idea is hatched:'Something really, really cool' in store for planned skateboard park in Hagerstown

City Councilman Kristin Aleshire suggested erecting a fence around the skatepark. Of about 30 skateparks across the state, about 25 have been fenced, he said.

In a phone interview Wednesday, 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.

Aleshire talked about going on the skatepark camera system one night at about 11 p.m. and seeing a kid riding a bike on it with a headlight on it.

"You're like, 'Great, that's a liability waiting to happen," Aleshire said.

People were still using the skatepark at about 8 p.m. Wednesday, but it was lit with other lights in the park.

Aleshire said he's also uncomfortable with individuals in the community volunteering to "police" the course. Then he said he sees comments from other individuals who say, "Well, I'll go out. I'll take care of it.'''

"That's not how I want to manage a public amenity space," Aleshire said.

Councilwoman Shelley McIntire said she doesn't like the idea of a fence, saying the trouble is not with the skatepark but a select number of people causing trouble in the neighborhood. She noted skateparks in other cities that aren't fenced.

"If you took the fence down at the BMX track, what would happen?" said Aleshire, looking at McIntire.

Councilman Bob Bruchey answered, saying ATV and dirt bike riders would be zipping through it. Aleshire said there is already a problem with ATV riders going through Fairgrounds Park.

Councilwoman Tiara Burnett said she's not in favor of a fence and wants to give the skating community a chance to work through the issues.

Kifer said the skating community has its own unique culture, where users will become familiar with unspoken rules about what is appropriate on the course.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Hagerstown skatepark sees fights, drug use, safety issues