Granddad stands up for moko
A Hamilton grandfather is fed up with older skaters bullying and drinking at a recently-upgraded city skate park.
Rakuo Edwards, 68, said that there was a small group of skaters who were at the park often, and it was usually the same group who were drinking alcohol and ‘‘smoking pot’’.
The grandfather, who has lived in the area for the past 25 years, has already had a confrontation with the group after they bullied his grandchildren.
‘‘They were letting their boards go and hit them.
‘‘I have had to jump in there.’’ He’s seen the same behaviour of letting the boards go into other children as well.
‘‘I’ve seen really skilled skateboarders, and they’ve wanted the space from the young ones, and so I have seen them let their skateboards go and let them just run, it might touch the child or connect with them, may not hurt them but the child is screaming.’’
Edwards was concerned that heading into the holiday period it would become worse.
He believes they are the same group of people hanging out in their 20s to 30s coming after work with alcohol and marijuana.
‘‘They bring boxes and boxes of beer, and they are openly smoking dope.’’
Edwards has put a complaint in with the council who told him the alcohol ban only applies between 10pm to 6am.
‘‘I would like to see a ban on smoking and drinking alcohol, just ban them.
‘‘It’s a community area so just ban it.’’
The Melville SkatePark had a $770,000 makeover recently.
This included the skate park renewal and upgrade, playground upgrade, basketball court, BBQ, shade and landscaping.
Hamilton City Council’s James Campbell said there had been some issues raised soon after the upgraded park opened through another club who use the park and said they’d seen a few fights involving young people.
‘‘We spoke to city safe, community advisers and the police about it at the time.
‘‘More recently we have heard this has settled down and I haven’t had any reports of issues come through to us.’’
They haven’t had any official reports come in around drinking, smoking marijuana or bullying issues at Melville Park. He said they would talk to those in the skating community on how things had been at the park.
‘‘If there are issues we can work with the community advisers and Htown might be able to provide support too.’’
Campbell said if people were having problems with others’ behaviour at the park to contact police.