An assault on a 33-year-old father by a swarm of skateboarders at the Denver Skatepark last week has rightly prompted city officials to increase safety at the facility and preserve the quality of the park.
We’re encouraged by the city’s plans to address the issue. We would hate to see the park ruined by the deeds of a few bad actors.
A group of two dozen young men apparently mistook the 33-year-old dad as a participant of a dispute and attacked him with their skateboards. The beating, which took place in front of the man’s children, broke bones and injured his head.
The incident has led to media reports that quote park visitors as saying the skatepark has become unsafe. The victim of the beating understandably told The Post’s Kieran Nicholson that he would never return to the park he had frequented for years.
Skateboarders already deal with perception problems, but if they wish for public support of the skatepark to remain, they would be wise to keep it safe and inviting.
The 60,000-square-foot facility near Coors Field is filled with high-quality bowls, ramps and rails and is considered a gem by skaters, who praise Denver for creating it.
In its nine years, the skatepark has offered an alternative to riding in streets and public areas, where all too often the lure of a handrail, planter or bench proves irresistible to skaters looking to grind out tricks.
Police reports over the years suggested the park was safe. But that’s changed recently. Though police responded to calls or initiated stops at the park 57 times in 2008, they did so 125 times in 2009. That said, few of the calls were violent. Denver Police spokesman Sonny Jackson said there were only three aggravated assaults at the skatepark last year.
Denver Parks and Recreation spokeswoman Jill McGranahan shares our concern over the park’s future reputation — and not just because it’s part of her job to do so. She regularly takes her sons to the park and says she would hate to see the positive energy there diminished.
Denver police installed a security camera at the park on Tuesday that can be monitored live. The park’s security program is coordinating with police to increase evening patrols.
And upgrades at the park that are scheduled to be completed next year should help. Construction on restrooms and a concessions area will start in September and the new facilities are set to open next May.
The park provides a wonderful outlet for kids serious about their sport.
We like the approach the city has taken, and hope to see the skatepark quickly return to better days.
