Passing bylaws banning skateboards and bicycles from downtown sidewalks runs the risk of alienating young people in the community, OPP Inspector Scott Smith told councillors in Wellington North recently.
Council spoke with the inspector on a number of issues, including its failed bid for a county-wide resolution banning bicycles and skateboards.
“It doesn’t look like it’s getting any support,” councillor Dan Yake said.
At the same time, because there’s such a concern in Mount Forest about bikes and skateboards on the main street, Yake wondered what could be done.
“Because there is the possibility of someone getting hurt on the main street, what can the chamber or the BIA do in conjunction with the OPP to resolve the problem?” he said.
Smith’s response was he has no problem speaking with council at length on the matter. However, he first, directed council to a document on the web called Roots of Youth Violence done strictly concerning Ontario. Smith said the document is relatively new, printed in 2008 and is making the rounds.
“It is well worth the read,” he said.
One of the issues on the roots of youth violence is when there is a group within the population that does not have a lot of say in what activities there are, they begin to act up a bit, Smith said.
“When we get into situations where kids are skateboarding on the sidewalk … and end up with bylaws and getting the police involved … we take the chance of criminalizing a behaviour that really ought not to be criminalized.
“The way the public perceives things today is that if they see me talking to a 14- or 15-year-old on the sidewalk, they assume the kid is up to no good,” Smith said. “That begins to alienate the youth all that much more.”
He said one item within the report, “is the need for areas where the youth can go – a place they can call their own – to hang out, to associate with themselves.”
In conjunction with that, Smith said about every three years, the OPP and the county engage in a Policing for Results survey. While not directly tied to that issue, Smith said the highest rated item on the list of items we ask people about “is the lack of youth activities … everybody complains about it.”
Smith said, “The one thing we really need to do … is get the voice of the kids, the voice of the youth as to why they are doing the things they do. And what we can do to make to make it safer for everyone.”
“If we don’t … all we’re doing is imposing an adult framework onto a bunch of youth … and they’re going to end up rebelling.”
He used the example of Erin. Behind the drug store, asphalt was put down and the kids love to skateboard there.
But there are a couple of people who park their vehicles there all the time. When those people come outside, there are pieces of turf, sod and other items thrown on top of the vehicles. Smith said there has not been a significant amount of damage yet, but there’s been some scratches.
“It’s strictly because it’s interfering; those people are interfering with their ability to skateboard.”
He said there are parking areas nearby.
“We don’t want to eliminate one problem by creating another one. At some level we need to engage the youth, to sit down and say, ‘What can we do’?” As for the issue of the sidewalks, he has driven through Mount Forest in the summer time.
“Sometimes to be on the main street on a bicycle is like taking their life in their hands.” At the same time, they don’t want to walk. He said some thought needs to be done on how to make that more accessible for them and make it safer for all the people.
“There needs to be significant dialogue on that, and we’re willing to be part of it,” Smith said.
