Wednesday, March 30, 2005

Nip skate park problems in the bud

The Birmingham schoolkids who stood before the City Commission a couple of years ago and lobbied in favor of a skate park should not now feel like they can't use the park. But that's just how they feel, since young adults from out of town who smoke pot, drink alcohol and use profanity have shown up and effectively taken over the park.

City Manager Tom Markus, when told of the situation, promised without hesitation to do whatever is necessary to make the park safe for kids. Police who responded to an incident at the park urged parents to speak up, and their voices are being heard.

We want our parks to be safe and accessible to everyone. But we also have to recognize, as the mother of one child said, that the skate park has the potential to draw older kids whose behavior is unacceptable and, in some cases, illegal.

If the city has to put cops on skates to make sure the park is safe and sound, that's what they should do.