The communications person at the Tigard, Oregon Police Department needs a raise. We hear a so many stories about cities and police departments having trouble with skateboarding and yet, none of them ever do anything to promote cooperation. In Tigard the police department decided to host a skateboard competition this Sunday, March 29, 2009, The Tigard Police Skateboard Challenge 2009, according to a story in the Tualatin Times.
“It’s a chance for us to reach out to them and build a better relationship — and hopefully be viewed differently by that group of kids,” said Sergeant Mike Eskew, the officer in charge of youth services. . . While he has never had a bad experience with a skateboarder himself, Eskew acknowledges the animosity traditionally built into skateboarder/police officer relationship. . . . “I think we’re even targets of scorn on video games,” he said.
How sad is it that this “no duh” action on the part of a local police department seems like genius public relations in a world otherwise filled with incompetance? Hopefully, more police departments will take note.
[Link: Tualatin Times]
