It's a clear, sunny Wednesday afternoon, and sophomore Kalyn Jumper is walking back from her English class to her home at a Nord Avenue complex. Unknown to her, she is committing a misdemeanor on the way there.
She crosses the railroad tracks, which is considered trespassing. Jumper doesn't have to jump over the fence - she can simply walk through it because of holes cut open by shortcutting pedestrians.
The 5-foot chain-link fence runs parallel to the railroad tracks by the university's baseball field, and separates the tracks from the bike path. Students living on the Nord Avenue side of the tracks stroll through the holes, allowing them quicker access to campus.
Jumper walks through the fence twice every day, she said.
"I like it because it is convenient," she said. "It's dangerous, but mostly convenient."
Students and others hack holes in this fence, which workers have to sporadically repair throughout the week, said Sgt. George Laver of the Chico Police Department.
But every time the holes are repaired, they are immediately cut open again, Public Works Manager Kirby White said. A cycle of breaking, building and repeating ensues.
"One time, we did two repairs on the same day on the same cuts, literally hours apart," White said.
In order to put a halt to this sequence, police are starting to crack down on those doing the slicing, Laver said. It is also illegal to walk on the dirt path to the right of the tracks.
Police are probably going to place some cameras by the tracks, and surveillance work is already in place, he said.
A Chico State student was arrested April 10 on suspicion of vandalism, using a pair of bolt cutters to open the fence, Laver said. He was being observed by Chico workers, who kept him in their sights until they called the police.
"He got arrested, and he's now facing felony vandalism charges," Laver said.
The maximum penalty for cutting the fence is imprisonment in county jail or state prison for two to four years and a fine not more than $10,000, Laver said. The minimum penalty is a misdemeanor.
The fence has four holes, the largest being four feet wide and five feet high. Every time these holes are re-opened, it costs the city of Chico money.
Depending on the severity of the damage, a single repair may cost $100 to $700, White said.
Sophomore Paul Sparacino didn't know walking through the fence is illegal, he said.
"I walk through the holes four times a day," he said.
Union Pacific, which owns the railroad property, is getting involved, too, Laver said.
"From what I understand, sometime in the near future, they plan on doing some sort of operation where they target people who are walking on the tracks," he said.
Union Pacific workers perform these operations two to three times a year in Chico, Laver said. This works well for Chico police, who don't have the manpower to prevent and ticket everyone trespassing.
Sparacino and Jumper said they think Chico is wasting its money. Jumper said she feels bad that the fences have to keep being fixed and Sparacino said he "can't believe they keep doing it."
"Even when the holes weren't there, I'd still hop the fence," Sparacino said.
Jumper said it's a risk students are willing to take.
"And no matter what happens," she said, "kids are going to keep breaking down the fence."
Donnie Giolzetti can be reached at Donnieg17@hotmail.com
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