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Question: Is skateboarding a crime?

Answer: Skateboarding itself is not a crime. However, skateboarding in certain locations may be a crime.

The owners of property - homes, shopping centers, parks, etc.- have the right to set reasonable rules for what visitors to their property can do while they are visitors. Owners could be individual people, in the case of a house, a company, in the case of a shopping center, or a city government, in the case of a park. It is common to see signs on property that prohibits skateboarding. This prohibition would be a reasonable rule because skateboarding could cause injury to both the skateboarder and other visitors. A property owner can be held responsible for injuries incurred by visitors while on their property and so most property owners try to set rules that reduce the likelihood for injuries occurring. If skateboarding in a certain place is prohibited and you are caught skateboarding there, you could be charged with the crime of trespassing, as well as other crimes depending on if anything on the property was damaged due to the skateboarding or if someone was injured.

Some cities have passed ordinances (city laws) that make skateboarding illegal in certain places. It is illegal to skateboard in the street, other than in a crosswalk, in Mesa. It is illegal to skateboard in or around city buildings in Chandler. You should check with your local police department to see if there are specific restrictions like this in your city.

There are many public places where skateboarding is encouraged like Scottsdale Skateboard Park. Its best to skateboard in areas made for skateboarding.


Comments
46 thru 50 of 195 comments
On 06/12/04
ange from PA said:
i use to be a really hard core skater but one day all of that changed. i got arrested for skating, the only good sport i was good at! my dad, after getting in trouble never wanted me to skate again. now i'm going back to skating after 4 years. but our small home town doesn't want us to use this small little park to skate in. no one ever used it other than doin drugs,but when we went in there we cleaned it up and started skating. us skaters don't get arrested anymore for skating on the streets. but for some reason the borough is just singling us out.Y do people hate skaters? skating is a sport.
On 06/12/04
dom from NC said:
skateboarding has always been a renegade hobby/sport. people are automatically gonna think you are up to something when they see you unless they know a skater. i skate everyday and get caught all the time although here in raleigh you only get in trouble when skating at colleges and such...but otherwise unless the owner of the property calls you are pretty much good to go.....also whoever skates in areas right next to signs that say "no skateboarding..etc" you are pretty dumb that is an automatic possible citation for ya right there and it gives the cop even a worse outlook on skaters........
On 06/08/04
hdjg from CA said:
I am doing debate on this topic and it is helping me. thanks Bye!
On 05/26/04
gerard from TX said:
i just got this ? for ya. If these places just put up signs that read "skate at your own risk" instead of the anti-skateboard ones would that solve the whole thing with the owners being held responsible? and if not then they should build us a skate park within the city limits here.i have to drive over 20 miles to get to the closest park
On 05/18/04
bob from CA said:
i think you guys are right i do not think that skateboarding is a crim i am a skateboarder my self you guys rock
46 thru 50 of 195 comments



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