They are designed for the little ones, the older ones make an improper use of them. Ruined equipment, dirt, bad examples. After the protests the measures
CASTELLAMONTE
Crackdown of Palazzo Antonelli against unruly teenagers who improperly use the games in city parks, originally intended for children in kindergartens and primary schools. “Nobody wants to inhibit access to playgrounds for children over 12 years old”, pointed out the group leader of the majority, Alessandro Musso, during the city council on Thursday to clarify an aspect that, during the debate, aroused some misunderstanding and qui pro quo between the same members of the Castellamontese parliament. On the agenda, in fact, was the approval of the amendment to article 20 of the urban police regulation regarding the use of games in municipal parks by children over the age of 12.
A difficult coexistence
“In recent months, a lot of controversy has arisen about dirty playgrounds, with equipment lacking some certifications, but above all due to the presence of too big boys who use games for children, throw balls, push each other and the little ones have the worst – he said the councilor for the budget, Patrizia Addis -. Playgrounds are for kindergarten and elementary school children and the games are designed for that age. Mothers complain of situations of not easy coexistence. We will try to find areas where older children can meet and have fun ».
Doubts as to whether banning entry to over 12s is the optimal solution were expressed by minority directors Valentina Coppo and Rocco Santoro. The mayor, Pasquale Mazza, complained about the presence of “children over 12 years old in playgrounds who, among other things, smoke, giving a bad example to the little ones”. To remedy this situation, a greater presence of the police was hoped for by the group leader of Per Castellamonte, Santoro. “If the children are identified, their personal details are taken and their parents are notified, since they are minors, the problem should be resolved,” added the opposition exponent. The mayor announced that a local police officer has already intervened in this regard.
We think of an aggregation center
But there is also an element of novelty. The contact person for youth policies, Claudio Bethaz, explained how work is being done on the creation of “a youth center” having obtained the availability of rooms in the oratory by the archpriest Don Angelo Bianchi, a project that will be carried out together with numerous associations volunteers present in the area “to make up for the lack of meeting places for middle-aged children”. Another space that fits into this context is the new basketball court, recently inaugurated, where to date there have been no problems of coexistence between different age groups.
In the end, the point under discussion passed unanimously and the deputy mayor, Teodoro Medaglia, announced that by mid-October all municipal parks will be secured.