For must of us who train in Parkour, crossing paths with
security and law enforcement personnel is a likely inevitability. The routes we
take to traverse and maneuver through our environment are attention grabbing,
to say nothing of strange to the untrained eye. For those unfamiliar with the discipline, the sight of
someone cat crawling across a wall, or leaping from place to place can strike
them as devious endeavors.
It is the job of security personnel to keep property safe and look out for the interests of the owners. Many are concerned with damage to the property they are charged with guarding. Unlike other urban activities however, we scarcely leave an impression or mark where we train and actually value the condition of our training spots. The cleaner, more stable, and intact a structure is the better it is for us and them. This mutual vantage point is not however the core issue. Often there is the fear of liability. In a society plagued with law suits and a lack of taking responsibility for ones actions, our commitment and dedication to what we do (at no one’s expense but our own) goes by the wayside.
If you find yourself being stopped and questioned about what you’re doing, take the opportunity to explain what parkour is and what you’re training for. Recognize the opportunity to spread awareness and educate the public about the discipline. The battle to gain respect for what we do and to be seen as ambassadors, doesn’t need the setback of insubordination. You may have that one chance to expose them to the sport, so make the best impression possible. Another alternative might be to simply explain that you are exercising as it sounds simpler and less ambiguous than training to move over/under/through”. Performing simple and easily recognizable exercises (push ups, pull ups, etc) can also help clarify what you’re doing, especially when being watched from a distance. More than likely however, you won’t be given the chance to do so. It’s common place for security to simply dismiss us as trespassers and order us off the property without caring to understand what it is we’re doing. I feel it’s important to inform everyone that even though training itself is not illegal, refusal to vacate the premises once asked is grounds for arrest (at least here in Florida).
Remember that the world is our playing field, so there’s no sense in fighting over a single location. Keep searching and you’ll find friendly areas to train movements. If a location appeals to you for its cinematic potential, speak with the owners/managers about filming a sequence there. I guarantee they will appreciate you coming to them first and not sneaking about the property. It’s truly a toss up as to whether or not you get their permission. However, they will recognize you as an ambassador to the sport and may gain respect for your practices and the way you go about choosing locations. Here in Miami, we’ve campaigned for access to various malls and landmarks that would make for some great footage. Even when turned down however, the response from location owners has been nothing but positive and praiseworthy. Those who have allowed us access (you’ll see the locations in upcoming videos) have done so with curious enthusiasm and open-mindedness. All across the country Parkour has received recognition and embrace on so many levels and we all play a part in its reputation.
It’s worth mentioning that security, law enforcement, and military personnel are among those seeking to train in parkour. They’ve recognized the functionality of it and transfer to job specific demands. Here in Miami and elsewhere, they are welcome additions to the discipline.
Users' Comments
Display 21 of 21 comments
1.
11-19-2008 14:48
Wow, really excellent article.
I actually haven't practiced Parkour in a while, but it's always nice to come back and see how the sport is evolving. I can definitely see a brighter future for the sport if people practice with this information in mind.
Great job Adrian!
2.
11-19-2008 16:36
Great advice -- the part of talking with owners before hand is great. This is your best approach. I am an officer and found out about pk on Xfit. Most of my partners know about it and TXPK is pretty regular on our beat and we have never had a problem. However the skaters who work 2 blocks over we never hear the end of them knocking people down, cussing and swearing. You can guess who gets more attention.
Common sense, and safety. Great advice
3.
11-20-2008 10:40
NOPE you have to be smarter than smart alot of these cops are just looking for trouble no offesne cl0961. I love law enforcement but too many times I've been harassed by them for tricking or parkour. I'm an extremly good citizen, I'm a university student, graduated top of my class from one of the better schools in US so I'm 100% not not the person to be harrassing while there are others dressed in baggy pants,shaven heads, with the jewlery walking around. Talking to ownners may help but there will always be those bad apple cops around not all cops but did you know it's already been tobe cont
4.
11-20-2008 10:46
OKay it's already been admitted that law enforcement is openly hiring thugs and ex-criminals. I encourage everyone to obey the law and protect themselves from tyranical police but respect the good police. I speak from experience. I never trespass by the way. I do these things on public grounds meaning parks, etc never on a building or something. TO make a long story short, COPS ARE not always the good guy BEWARE OF THE COMING POLICE STATE. Thankyou very much
5.
11-20-2008 12:56
If anyone is climbing a building, do NOT mention parkour at all
6.
11-20-2008 15:04
Good article man i compleatley agree
7.
11-20-2008 16:41
i....um.... fell on a guard before i was crouched on a wal and my freind bryan pushed me of.... tht wasnt good.... i didnt fall on him as such... ratehr jst by him
8.
11-20-2008 18:20
I ran into a couple cops a while back (3 cop cars) Doing Parkour with my friends late at night.. (don't stay out late if you're not an adult) Very good article, I actually did everything it said to do in a situation like this, we gave a description of what parkour is and why we do it... its simply not enough so you have to demonstrate what you are practicing, make sure not to screw up.. After showing them they were cool about the exercise and let us go.
9.
11-20-2008 19:15
ive had some funny run ins with the cops. one time we were playing "tag" (parkour but with the rules of tag if that makes sense) and my friend almost runs into a police officer tic tacing off a wall down some stairs. right as he said we were doing parkour and the cop asked what parkour was i vaulted over the railing and landed like 2 feet away. no jokes! lol i think he almost shot me. anyway we gave a breif physical break down of it, he watched me count to ten as my freind ran for it and the game continued.
10.
11-20-2008 20:30
I am police officer and a newbie traceur. The advice giveni n the article was spot on. One thing I always like to remind people is that "attitude is everything." Many times the officer has discretion in how they handle he situation and if you follow the advice from the article, you have a much better chance of a positive outcome.
11.
11-21-2008 02:38
Word, I think this article is very informative....lol especially for a newbe such as myself...But I am going to throw out there a comment mentioned above about people with shaved heads, baggy jeans, and hanging jewlrey should get more attention by the cops...Thats not cool man. Don't discriminate or be prejudice to one's lifestyle. I know appearence is one's first impression but keep that stuff to yourself. I am pretty sure he did not mean to come off that way, but as taucers, we already know what it feels like to be misunderstood. So we should be mindful of what we say.
12.
11-24-2008 09:37
this will really help me. personally i get tangled with law enforcment to. so this will really help me to have them respect what im doing even if i have to leave atleast they know what parkouring is and thats what its all about is spreading the word
13.
12-03-2008 19:17
I try to be as respectful to a cop as possible when approached by one. I used to skateboard alot, but since i got into freerunning, i've cut down on it. either way, i was respectful then to the cops and they all seemed to leave with a small grin almost trying to hide that they were happy that one of us "young rebels" were actuall respectful. I tend to smile and keep a relaxed face when talking to a cop. they usually explain what theyre there for, usually explaining in detail how i could avoid it again, and then they usually drive off in a good mood. So I'd say that this is a great article.
14.
12-05-2008 11:06
yep but parkour and free running are often thought of as a sport which it is not its a wway of life if your doing it just to show off for friends dont
15.
12-06-2008 19:02
lol the police caught me doing parkour on private property i acted nice and with respect and told them the meaning and everything but they took me off "the premisis"
16.
12-07-2008 16:53
its snowin here in canada but during the summer i get really strange looks from people when i practice and ive never been stopped by the cops though (maybe cuz i'm 11 years old)
17.
12-09-2008 13:28
Great advice. The one thing you don't want to do is not to do what a cop says because then they stop being nice.
18.
12-13-2008 06:10
Great Advice! I believe that awarness is important, its also important to respect any security officers that may come up to you. If they ask you to leave, just do so, if you make them angry you can say bye-bye to that training spot.
19.
12-14-2008 08:36
Good Article. I am new to this activity and am looking for some people in Miami. And i See that you(the person that wrote article) is here in Miami. Can you give me some direction
20.
12-15-2008 17:02
well lucky for you guys the cops aren't as nice here in arizona since we are getting a lot of burglaries so they always think i'm doing something suspicious so they take down my info give me a warning run my record (which is just a bunch of warnings from previous parkour incidents) and send me away not even asking what i was doing...arizona is not the best place to go (hint hint)
21.
02-08-2009 15:35
Yeah, the way you dress and talk makes a big impression on people. Law enforcers will give a lot more respect to those who act mature and respectful. Good article.
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i....um.... fell on a guard before i was crouched on a wal and my freind bryan pushed me of.... tht wasnt good.... i didnt fall on him as such... ratehr jst by him 
Word, I think this article is very informative....lol especially for a newbe such as myself...But I am going to throw out there a comment mentioned above about people with shaved heads, baggy jeans, and hanging jewlrey should get more attention by the cops...Thats not cool man. Don't discriminate or be prejudice to one's lifestyle. I know appearence is one's first impression but keep that stuff to yourself. I am pretty sure he did not mean to come off that way, but as taucers, we already know what it feels like to be misunderstood. So we should be mindful of what we say. 
yep but parkour and free running are often thought of as a sport which it is not its a wway of life if your doing it just to show off for friends dont 
