Posted on 08/11/2004 7:22:50 AM PDT by Hemingway's Ghost
A pair of baby-faced Whitman boys, busted on a public street for illegal skateboarding, were arrested, booked and shackled before being hauled into a Brockton juvenile court to face charges, the children's irate parents said yesterday.
``It's absurd,'' mother Stephanie Saltzman said. ``My son is 12 years old and all he was doing is skateboarding. I mean, you gotta be kidding me.''
Saltzman's son, Josh, and 14-year-old neighbor, Ryan Maxwell, were arrested Aug. 3 when a Whitman police officer caught them skateboading on South Avenue. A town bylaw prohibits using skateboards or other devices to ``coast or slide'' along public streets.
Town officials would not comment on the specifics of the case yesterday, but they said police would not arrest kids unless their illegal actions were more severe than simply skateboarding.
``They would have to be doing something that causes it to rise to that level,'' Town Administrator Frank Lynam said. ``It's at the discretion of the officer to determine whether an arrest should be made.''
Dean Leavitt, the officer who collared the rosy-cheeked boys, declined to comment yesterday.
The boys insisted they were merely skateboarding in front of their homes when an officer took their boards and ordered them into the back of his car. They said they complied without any protest.
``I couldn't believe it was happening over skateboarding,'' Josh Saltzman said. ``We have too many cops that have nothing to do in this town.''
The boys said they were booked at the police station and then driven to Brockton Juvenile Court, where they were locked in a cell for two hours before being led into a courtroom with shackles around their wrists and ankles.
Michael Maxwell, Ryan's father, said he raced to court to pick up his son after he was told the boy would be held overnight if he did not arrive before 3:30 p.m.
``I was sitting in court when they called out his name and I could see his hands and hear the jingling as he walked,'' Maxwell said. ``To arrest a child for riding on a board? I don't know what that serves.''
The boys were ordered to perform 15 hours of community service before Nov. 1.
Town officials said they have had numerous incidents involving skateboarders jumping off library steps, weaving through traffic and creating other disturbances. They say they are trying to find a suitable location for a skateboard park.
I grew up in a suburban community north of Boston, and I've known from a very young age onward the the cops in my town had nothing to do except for busting couples parking and breaking up teenage drinking parties. As a matter of fact, of all the cops on the force in that town now, more than a few of them were the ones who got busted in their younger days.
"Our middle school actually allows skateboards on their premises and can be carried around like a book!"
Wow. I can't believe they'd allow that. They're just asking to be sued.
"Their excuse? The skate park is "lame"."
lol...then it probably IS lame. Skaters love properly designed skate parks.
So old June got together with other June's and petitioned their lawmakers to have "Daddy Government" come in and raise the little darlins.
Personally I'd rather be riding around eating sinkers and drinking bad coffee than raising other people's kids. But, that's why they pay me the big bucks.
Actually, you're probably right! They could have done a better job on it.
We have skateboarders in my town including my son who's 12. He knows there are some skaters he's not allowed to run with and pretty much avoids them. The worst thing is all it takes is one rude skateboarder to give the rest of them a bad name. My son and his friends got in trouble with a local woman in charge of some public property because she said "a" skateboarder had busted a picnic table to make a ramp and she wanted someone to rat him out. My son told her it wasn't one of them but told me later he did know who did it but he sure wasn't going to tell her after they way she approached him.
Some skaters are bad and it does promote a culture of rebellion but I have found the majority of these boys to be nice to me if I actually smile first and ask ask them how they're doing or ask about their boards.
Personally I'd rather be riding around eating sinkers and drinking bad coffee than raising other people's kids. But, that's why they pay me the big bucks.
A few things: true, I can understand why a cop wouldn't want to talk to the media, and I understand why this particular story made the front page of the Boston Herald. But you've got to admit, the Whitman force hasn't really issued an explanation as to why the cop in question acted the way he did. It would seem to any rational person that if they could, they would, so that they didn't makes it seem like they have something to hide.I take it you are a cop. My beef isn't with cops per se; just cops who can't seem to use common sense. I'm a suburban guy, and here, or police forces seem to be made up of Rambo wanna-be hard guys who still need to feel like the baddest mother effers in the schoolyard.
Michael Maxwell, Ryan's father, said he raced to court to pick up his son after he was told the boy would be held overnight if he did not arrive before 3:30 p.m.
I can't say that I was ever arrested. However, if I was, the first thing that my parents would have done is come and get me. The above statement implies that this guy's Dad had other things to do.
Anyway, that is my example. I'm not going to say there are not idiot cops because I know alot of idiot cops. But usually they eventually get fired or go to jail themselves. But in between they can create alot of problems for everybody else.
Boy, are you gonna get flamed for that statement. Well, I'll take some of that too as I gotta say that your sentiment is exactly how I live on a day-to-day basis, and how I've taught my kids as well. It is only prudent, with the millions of laws in existance today and the mindless folks they have enforcing them.
I had a guy who was a real jerk chasing me and my friends off for actually walking on the sidewalk past his house. He told us that it was his house, and his yard and that we couldn't be there.
I can't even imagine how many times, (and he went to bed early) Domino's showed up at his house at close to 12:30 with a pizza for him.
Eventually, one day, I was walking the sidewalk with my buddies and he came out and hit one of my friends with the broom. We left, but instead of taking it to the parents, I found a much better solution. My parents, in there infinite wisdom, decided a few months earlier to give me a chemistry set. Well, there was a formula for binding rubber (such as windshield wipers) to glass (such as windshields). I'm sure that you can imagine why he gave up on chasing us. It only took 5 windshields.
(I can recount this story because I was 15 at the time, and since I'm now 34, I'm sure the statue of limitations has expired. If not, it will only be a few more months...)
Paul
It's been 25 posts... I wonder when the flaming will begin?
ohhh. i am sooo impressed with the big, strong officers...eradicting this menace to society and leaving the car-jackers, murderers and rapists alone...
duh.
The Capt.
Perhaps it's interesting that no one objects to eno's prudent cautionary stance in protection of his children vis a vis the authorities.
I know I did the same with my 5, one of whom was an ardent skater, 2 of whom were fast drivers, 5 of whom tried pot and mushrooms, ......
When authority becomes arbitrary and/or 'zero-tolerant, such discretion in dealing with the state is a key survival tool. I'm sure most parents here follow a similar practice.
The reality is we live in the soft cage of surveillance. Many people know this is our reality. The ones in denial, and the enthusiastic conformists, are not articulate enough to come up with a response.
bttt
I would prefer my child be skateboarding in FRONT OF MY HOUSE than off in some skateboard park.
Quite likely it is policy/SOP to restrain anyone transported. And imagine the blast of disrespect these officers got from a couple of pubescent brats when the tenor here, on a conservative news discussion fourm, is such.
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