Rancho Palos Verdes has outlawed the dangerous trend of downhill skateboarding known as “bombing” throughout the city, but officials want more time to consider banning all skateboarding on nine streets where residents have been generating complaints.

Starting Aug. 21, skateboarders will face a $1,000 fine for crouching or kneeling on their boards, or riding at excessive speeds that are not “reasonable or prudent” for street conditions with “a wanton disregard for the safety of other persons or property.” They also can’t hang on to cars and must dismount and walk across uncontrolled intersections.

The city attorney worked with the Sheriff’s Department and reviewed ordinances in other cities — such as Los Angeles, where bombing has been an issue in places like San Pedro — in crafting the new rules.

The decision at Tuesday’s City Council meeting came weeks after skateboarders filled council chambers outraged that an initial proposal sought to ban all skateboarding on public property.

Councilwoman Susan Brooks, who brought the issue forward in response to complaints about downhill skateboarding coming from homeowners associations and residents, said she never intended to outlaw all skateboarding — blaming the first proposal’s wording on city staff — but meant to target the trend that claimed two young lives in San Pedro several years ago.

Just this weekend, she encountered a group of five bombers — including one adult — weaving in and out of traffic on Palos Verdes Drive East.

“It scared me and it scares all the people,” Brooks said. “I do not want to be a council member, on my term or anybody else’s term, that has the blood of somebody else’s child on my hands with regard to this practice called bombing.”

The Sheriff’s Department receives about two to three complaints a day about bombing in the city, according to Nicole Jules, deputy director of Rancho Palos Verdes’ Public Works Department.

Professional surfer and Rancho Palos Verdes native Alex Gray, a vocal supporter of a proposed skatepark at City Hall, told the council that the wording of the bombing ordinance was unclear.

“How will you differentiate between a bomber and a skateboarder? Body posture — it’s a little hazy, to be honest,” he said.

Capt. Blaine Bolin of the Lomita sheriff’s station said he believes the ordinance is enforceable as worded.

“I do believe that the operative term that’s been used tonight is discretion,” he said. “I also believe there’s a measure of common sense.”

Bolin said verbal warnings are usually given first and that, for skateboarders under 18, citations would be given to parents.

“We’re going to have that one moment-in-time encounter with kids and make an impact for five, 15 minutes, but parents need to be on board to control, observe and monitor from that point forward.”

In addition to prohibiting bombing, the council considered adding Abbottswood Drive, Casilina Drive, Crownview Drive, Daladier Drive, Deluna Drive, Grandpoint Lane, Highpoint Road, Knoll View Drive and Lucania Drive to a list of 12 streets where skateboarding was banned in 2012 because of complaints about bombing.

Councilman Brian Campbell questioned the methodology of selecting the streets and called the idea “charging ahead too quick.”

“The people that are doing bombing know they’re not supposed to be doing it, so just sticking up another 100 signs out there and surprising these residents where their kids are no longer going to be able to skate isn’t going to stop the bad guys or girls that are out there,” he said. “It was my understanding when we brought this forward that this was going to be something that was going to stop bombing, not banning skateboarding. That’s like banning driving in order to stop drunk drivers — it doesn’t work that way.”

Councilman Jerry Duhovic suggested requiring a majority or supermajority of neighbors on a street to prohibit skateboarding.

“I’d like that process to be a little more refined before going forward,” he said.

Brooks hesitantly agreed to hold off on expanding the list, though she said some residents have been complaining for too long about the issue.

Last week, the council gave plans for the privately run skatepark a push, voting to include it in the long-term master plan for Upper Point Vicente.