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Speak Up! - View Question #391 |
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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.
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