Pomona Skate Park

A Place for Skateboarders to Have Fun: Legally

By: Dean McIntyre

Geo 435

Winter - 2013

2

Forward

It is well documented that exercise- in general, contributes overall to human health and

development. For local kids, of any demographic, it could mean daily involvement in physical

activity. There is now recent data that shows that skateboard facilities have been neglected in the

design of a park compared to traditional organized sports. The National Sporting Goods

Administration said, “You will see from the comparative ratios to other sports how vastly

underserved the skateboarding population is. The condition is not unique to Philadelphia”

[Masterplan pg. 2] This study may be inconclusive; never the less, this research sketches the

benefits of skateboard activity in the city of Pomona.

Does building a skate park have an impact on crime?

The focus of this narrative is on Pomona skate park at Palomares Park and if the

construction of the park has deterred the general rate of crime in that area. An alternative study

of the crime statistics in the area of Martin Luther King Park (MLK Park), in the South West

quadrant of Pomona, can shed some insight as to how well the neighborhood surrounding

Palomares Park has fared since the inception of the Skate Park in 2003. MLK Park has a small

skateboard area and lies geographically opposite Palomares Park in the North east quadrant.

The cost of a skateboard park is exorbitant and not within the reach of most communities.

Is the investment worth the time taken at a local level, and more importantly, should a city’s

3

financial resources, like bonds, pay the costs? What will the benefits be if any? What if the

results are stagnant at best? These types of community activity projects are springing up across

America within the foreseeable future: There are numerous examples such as Paine’s Park in

Philadelphia. They have reached a multimillion dollar budget for a series of skate park facilities

within the city limits. Paine’s park will open in the summer of 2013. For arguments sake, could

a small demographic of skaters make a difference in the statistics of city crime within a a local

geographic area?

4

History of Pomona

Pomona, California is located at the north-eastern edge of Los Angeles County. It has a

vast middle class population often mixed within close proximity to neighborhoods experiencing

poverty issues, especially in the central and southern portions of Pomona. Poverty is an issue

that all citizens living within an urban community must face. Poverty, in some cases, does

something to the soul that is hard to describe. In some cases the inhabitants of poverty stricken

communities’ rise above difficult circumstances; like Dan Rodriguez who was raised in Pomona,

but also made contributions to the community as a city councilman during the

nineties.(www.linkedin.com) Never the less, the ravages of poverty, especially when it comes to

children and adolescents are incalculable to describe.

Historically speaking, Pomona, California was farmland as far back as the fifties, and was

not perceived by many Angelinos as the outlet exterior for poverty and crime, at least along parts

of Valley Boulevard, where there is housing, and in the southern part of the city. “During the

sixties, small groups in and around the central part of Los Angeles moved to the city of Pomona

for a fresh start. The result of impending issues with community struggles-such as the Watts

Riots. Unfortunately conflicts arose from the contrasting ethnic groups.” [LaVarrio-3]

Ultimately, the end result would be de-centralized city problems and the resultant crime issues

that would encounter parts of the city of Pomona-at least until the end of the 20th

century and

beyond.

[It should be noted that, at that time, many middle class white families occupied the same land

space in and around the central part of Los Angeles, including the Crenshaw district and the

Adams district on the southern side of Wilshire Boulevard. Ultimately, white middle class

5

families in that area would slowly move away, moving to portions of Orange County or the

Valley, leaving parts of the central area of L.A. with a limited tax base for future development.]

Pomona’s rise of illegal street activity during the eighties and nineties can be attributed to

Americas crack cocaine explosion during the eighties and nineties-like many cities throughout

the country. These increases in violence came as a result of disparate racial segregation and high

youth unemployment in areas throughout Los Angeles. Gregory Brown states, “New tract houses

available to African=American buyers were cheapest on the farthest outskirts of Los Angeles;

and the cost traveling to work each day tended to offset the bargain prices. Furthermore, the

outlying home sites were served exclusively by automobile transportation.” [Brown. Pg. 218]

Brown makes the point that many black families actually stayed in central Los Angeles because

of the high costs of transportation, even though there were housing opportunities available.

Comparing Crime Statistics

From a webpage online, there is a quote from Mike Donelon, Executive Director of the

Action Kids Sports Foundation saying, “Within 3 years of the opening of the Michael K. Green

skate park in 2003 drug related incidents have dropped 60.9%, violent crime has dropped 28.3%,

and overall crime incidents have dropped 22.8% . Calls for service have dropped 23%.”

[www.alb.org.] The website also has a link to retired professional skateboarder Tony Hawks own

foundation, which grants money to important youth projects in various cities throughout the

United States and promotes skateboard parks for low income and ’at-risk’ youth. On the Tony

Hawk Foundation website, in the about section, this is what he has to say, “The skate parks in

6

high risk areas that we have helped to fund are thriving-they offer kids a safe place to, and gives

them something to do, that give them a sense of self-esteem that they may never find anywhere

else.” (Web. 2013)

It has now been over a decade since the skate parks completion and a proper geographic

study can now be made of crime within the area over the last decade and beyond. A review of

two districts in the South West part of Pomona was also done to see if crime has gone down, or

stayed the same, with respect to the time passed and what one would hope to be changing

demographics. Then the results were compared to the Palomares Park area, and its surrounding

community, to see if investing in infrastructure, like a skate park, can help the local demographic

of youth in that area.

Looking at the City of Pomona Police Department Crime Statistics from 2002-2012, we

can compare different districts crime numbers for random types of crimes committed. The list is

compiled into 100 districts. These statistics, however, do not differentiate between juveniles and

adults. Taking a sample of three different districts, including the palomares area, we can see

whether that area surrounding the park has had any improvement over other areas, or districts.

First looking at Palomares Park (district 27) in 2002, for one year, there were: 5

robberies, 16 assaults, 7 burglaries, and 15 arrests. This is one year before the skate park was

completed. Five years later, in 2007- district 27 had: 5 robberies, 19 assaults, 7 burglaries, 35

arrests. It would appear that crime in the area had remained the same. Looking another five years

later, in 2012, for district 27, there were: 5 robberies, 3 aggravated assaults, 10 burglaries, and 26

arrests. The total of crime reported for 2012 is listed at 69. Comparing the year 2002 to 2012-one

decade-the total crime annually reported is 69 for 2002 and 69 for 2012-the same.

7

Comparing Palomares Park (district 27) to district 82, Martin Luther King Park, indicates

similar crime statistics except for more arrests. Looking at the year 2004, for (district 82), shows:

2 robberies, 8 aggravated assaults, 15 burglaries, and 52 arrests. For the year 2007 in district 82

shows 0 robberies, 5 assaults, 8 burglaries, and 68 arrests. Five years later, in 2012 crime

numbers for district 82 show: 3 robberies, 6 assaults, 13 burglaries, and 50 arrests.

Finally, looking at district 79, in south-west Pomona, we can look at their crime rates.

This is a low income area located north of MLK Park by one city block. Recently, within the

month of March, there have been four fatal shootings in the general vicinity of that area. (topix,

2013) For the year 2004 district 79 had: 4 robberies, 12 assaults, 12 burglaries, and 113 arrests.

For the year 2007 there were: 2 robberies, 25 assaults, 15 burglaries, and 182 arrests. Five years

8

later, in 2012 crime statistics were: 10 robberies, 11 assaults, 14 burglaries, and 83 arrests.

Overall crime is higher than both park areas.

Looking at the results of the crime data, it would appear that crime within the area of

Pomona Skate Park did not go down but only stabilized. In response to this, I would like to add

that actually going to the park, and observing the age demographics, on one day, I witnessed

eight skaters- ages 15-18 years old; and on another occasion, I spoke to two very young boys

skating that told me during the weekdays many of the kids from the local high school come to

the facilities after their school day. It would appear that the skate park is well utilized. Mike

Donelan from the Long Beach Press Telegram said, “The intent when we first opened El Dorado

was to give kids a safe and legal place to skate; that was the purpose of it”. Perhaps the city of

Pomona was in fact done with the park when construction was completed.

9

Looking at a local area map showing the city of Pomona including the Palomares Park

shows income demographics for the year 2000. According to American FactFinder, Pomona has

a population distribution that is mostly Hispanic [71%] with a smaller representation of whites

[54.3%], and an even smaller representation of African Americans [8.7%] and Asian Americans

[8.1%].(factfinder2.census.gov/2013) The map shows both low income and middle income

family distributions. [La Varrio, S.pg 7] Were these the same people that inspired the creation of

the skate park? I spoke to Ilona Arends from the Pomona Community Services Department and

she said, “The park was requested from various neighborhoods, both adults and skaters, that

wanted somewhere for the kids to skate.” I asked her if the skate park was safe. She said that,

“Occasionally there are problems with graffiti, but mostly it is a well utilized skate park used by

many neighboring communities.”

10

Pomona skatepark lies between middle and low income housing. It was chosen from

three site locations back in 1998. After five years of deliberation, and much input from the

surrounding skate boarders, it was finally completed. It was conceived to help the local skaters

to have some place to go, hang out together with like-minded kids, and participate in a legal

manner; if that was the only objective, than the city has completed its mission. It would appear

that the city of Pomona has no interest in promoting their skate park as a way to keep kids from

getting involved in crime, like the city of Long Beach.

The California Department of Justice has a yearly index of crime data for the neighboring

cities of Los Angeles. In 1998 Long Beach had 11,156 crimes reported for the year. In Pomona

the number was much lower, though both cities share similar populations. Pomona reported

3,943 crimes. Although both cities had skate parks constructed about the same time, various

family agencies in Long Beach have mobilized to reduce such high crime rates in various parts

11

of the city. The result was a reduction in crime and gang activity. “We realized that kids were

jumping into skate parks, not gangs, and they were picking up skateboards, not guns.” (Long

Beach Press Telegram)

Pomona Skate Park - 2013

It is ten years later and overall crime has gone down in the city of Pomona according to

the statistics. It appears that crime within the Palomares Park area (district 27) has merely

remained static. However, it does appear that district 27 (Pomona Skate Park) does experience

lower overall crime than district 82 (MLK Park). But, the difference is only in rates of arrests.

Most of the other infractions are about the same for both districts.

Cities such as Philadelphia create huge skate park projects, through nonprofit fundraising,

to inspire the arts and heritage of the city though they don’t say to reduce crime. Keeping youth

out of trouble became a big priority in Long Beach, but only after a drive by non-profit

12

foundation galvanized local communities to raise money. Most of the money for Pomona Skate

Park came from Bonds A- a resource allocated to the upkeep of city parks. The money was

simply there and they did not have to strain their budget to pay the $389,000 for the completion

of the park. Building Pomona Skate Park has not deterred crime within that community; and it

would seem that was never the goal of the city.

13

Works Cited

American FactFinder. Web. March 18, 2013. factfinder2census.gov

http://www.asklongbeach.org/Web. March 18, 2013

Brown, G (2012). The Ghettoization of Blacks in Los Angeles: The Emergence of Street Gangs.

Journal of African American Studies. June 2012, Vol. 16, issue 2. Pp. 209-225

City of Pomona. Ilona E. Arends. Community Services Manager. Ilona_arends@ci.pomona.ca.us

Crime Statistics. City of Pomona Police Department. 2002-2012. Records Bureau Manager, Judy

Ramsey. March 18, 2013

Le Vario, Sarah. Crime in Pomona’s Parks. CDI Index GIS Map for Pomona 2000. June 1, 2011.

Web. March 18, 2013

www.linkedin.com/pub/dir/Daniel/Rodriguez Web. March 18, 2013

http://www.tonyhawkfoundation.org/about/founder/Web. March 18, 2013

www.topix.com/crime/pomona-ca Web.March 18, 2013

Philadelphia Masterplan for Skateboarding_01-05.indd.[PDF]Web. March 18, 2013

http://www.presstelegram.com/ci_22172586 Web. March 18, 2013