Still a Crime

When I was little, I used to see kids fly by my house on skateboards. I'd stand there by myself and wonder how in the world they were able to go so fast and do so many tricks. To me, skating seemed impossible — but to them, it seemed like second nature, like walking. Even though I never took up skating— I didn't really think I was any good at it — I have a lot of respect for skaters and skate culture. Skaters aren't people who want to trash the places where they skate. They want to have fun, they want to do something they love.

Downtown Tucson is the perfect place to skateboard: the streets are neat and clean, there are lots of sidewalks, and the tall buildings give skaters some shade from the hot sun.

The trees and fountains Downtown make it a safe place for youth to skate and explore.

But here's the problem: skating in Downtown Tucson is against the law. Tucson's City Code states that skateboarding in central business areas of Downtown is prohibited. In my opinion, the city should respond to its citizens' desire to skate. Skating has been around for years, and it's not going away. Why try to prohibit people from taking part in an activity that they're going to do anyway?

As a testament to how important skating is to them, many youth have vowed to continue skating Downtown, no matter the consequences. Skater Sam West, the manager of local skate shop Starr Skates, says in response to the city's ordinance, "I think they should know that skateboarders are not criminals. Skateboarding itself is not a criminal activity, and if you treat skateboarders as criminals, then it's a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you treat skateboarders as members of society, they will act like members of society. That's the way human nature is."

Skaters don't skate to harm the local citizens. University of Arizona student Arthur Siller says he likes to use his board as his means of transportation: "You just skate around from spot to spot rather than driving from spot to spot." But he adds about traveling Downtown, "It's a pretty big problem down there. They have Downtown security who just walk around and they call the cops if they see you there."

Donovan Durband, the executive director of the Tucson Downtown Alliance, the nonprofit organization that maintains safety and cleanliness Downtown, explains that skaters sometimes speed through the area.

"Narrow sidewalks are not good places for skateboarders, where pedestrians are coming in and out of storefronts. I don't think skateboarders mean any harm, they're just having fun," he said. "But sometimes their fun conflicts with other people going about their business."

In my opinion, the city of Tucson doesn't allow skateboarding Downtown because some people believe that the skaters are not responsible enough to make safe decisions. I think the best compromise is to build a skate park Downtown so that youth can skate where they want to but not bother anyone. If we bring skaters Downtown, they will only bring more life to the community.

Josue Castro, 16, Pueblo Magnet High School

VOICES has been one of my most unforgettable experiences. It's incredible that I'm only 16, and I wrote a story for the Arizona Daily Star. My favorite part was photographing people skating Downtown and watching them do something they love, even if it's illegal.