2009 was a rough year for Stapleton alleys when the “kids that potentially could’ve gotten hurt” totaled 36 Stapleton children. 2010 showed a remarkable turnaround with this number decreasing almost 30%, down to 26. “We really worked hard with the cooperation of the community leaders, the local fire and police departments, as well as the parents,” says local resident Brian Lohman. “There is still work to do, as we would like to see that number at zero.” It is important to point out that the actual number of kids hurt or harmed is zero. Data includes children walking to school in alleys, riding bikes in alleys, or playing sports in alleys. “We know that there have been no injuries, but there are just too many risks,” continues Lohman. “I hear reports all the time of cars backing out of their garages two minutes after making sure their neighbor had all the kids out of the way. That is just cutting it a little too close.”
Many parents are more concerned with kids walking to and from school in the alleys. “Every once in a while we will see or hear reports of ‘Aurora-like’ vehicles driving through our alleys,” says resident Dave Mason. “I know they are typically looking to rob us or take old chairs we left behind our garages for garbage, but what if they decide to take our kids?” Skeptics like Scott Andreasen find this highly unlikely. “The one thing these Aurora people have plenty of is kids. They are not looking for more.”
Lohman eventually would like to see a ban on playing and walking in Alleys for children. “There is just no other way to completely keep our children safe when they are playing in an alley. I will fight this fight until the number of “kids that potentially could’ve gotten hurt” is at zero.” We know you will Brian, we know you will. ]]>