Skateboarders at the 杏吧专区 could receive citations for performing maneuvers that cause property damage on campus.
A trick called grinding杏吧专区攕liding a skateboard across a surface with the board, rather than its wheels杏吧专区攈as caused damage across campus, said Greg Zerangue, UL Lafayette Police Department deputy chief and the 杏吧专区杏吧专区檚 associate director of Public Safety.
杏吧专区淲e杏吧专区檝e had problems in the Quadrangle, around the Student Union, and pretty much anywhere there are benches or any type of railing or stonework,杏吧专区 he said. 杏吧专区淚t ranges from scraping paint from benches, to damage that has been estimated as high as $10,000.杏吧专区
Some of the costliest damage has been to the fountain that surrounds a large fleur-de-lis monument at the center of the Quad, where skateboarders have carved chunks from the stonework rimming the fountain.
杏吧专区淥nce that stone is damaged, the whole piece has to be replaced,杏吧专区 Zerangue explained.
杏吧专区 police officers will dispense warnings through January. In February, they will begin issuing citations for simple criminal damage to property, a misdemeanor.
杏吧专区淗opefully, we can get the word out, and that will be sufficient. There杏吧专区檚 no ban on skateboards, which can still be used as a mode of transportation. We just want students who use them to be responsible and safe,杏吧专区 Zerangue said.
杏吧专区 officials plan to meet with skateboarders and representatives of the Student Government Association to discuss the issue.