A week after opening early, a popular pool in Springfield, Massachusetts has been closed due to vandalism. The mayor says it’s the latest in a series of incidents that could force the city to shut the pool down even longer.
With summer here and temperatures hitting the 90s, days like Wednesday would usually mean locals filling the Forest Park Pool.
According to the city’s Aquatics Director, Joe Federico, as many as 150 people can use the pool with proper staffing. Even more line up, wrapping around the site as they wait to get in.
But for the rest of the week, the outdoor pool is closed off to the public as staff address recent vandalism. Officials say that over the past 10 days, as city pools opened early amid a heat wave, the Forest Park location has been the scene of verbal assaults on pool staff to police cruiser tires being slashed.
The latest case, described by Director of Parks, Buildings, and Recreation Management Tom Ashe during a press conference Wednesday, is forcing staff to empty the pool while local leaders weigh keeping it closed if issues continue.
“Wednesday, June 26 - pool closed for training. Lockers on outside of building, as well as life jacket rack, both anchored to the brick building, were smashed and thrown into the pool,” Ashe said, reading off a list of vandalism cases reported over the past week. “Several broken bottles on both the deck and water and - glass thrown into the pool. Currently draining pool in order to remove glass.”
Ashe says many of the incidents involved large groups of children, often jumping the pool’s fence, even before the area opened June 19. The first few cases featured staff being verbally harassed as they tried to get the individuals to leave.
One incident the day before the opening culminated in a child allegedly pulling out a fake gun on a staff member and police being called.
In the days that followed – more of the same, Ashe says, often with a group of over 20 kids hopping the fence and both physically and verbally assaulting staff.
On opening day alone, one case involved individuals slashing the tires of a police cruiser in addition to rocks being thrown at officers. The following day, the pool ended up closing early after two separate fights broke out, with an officer being assaulted while trying to intervene.
Now, with the pool closed for the week and officials estimating a cost of up to $15,000 to replace the drained water, officials like Mayor Domenic Sarno say something has to change, or else the city might have to keep the pool closed for good.
“I don’t want to get to the point in time where after we reopen this pool, that more stuff continues to happen,” Sarno said. “Because if it does, I will shut the pool down, period.”
Security within Forest Park includes not only Springfield police officers, but also deputies with the Hampden County Sheriff’s office, who have been boosting the law enforcement presence in the 735-acre park.
But, Sarno says law enforcement cannot be at the pool 24/7.
He also noted that the situation appears to involve only a small number of youths, whom he referred to as young adults and “juvenile predators” at times.
“This is not a reflection of the young people - juveniles, young kids and young adults and families that really enjoy this pool,” he said. “This is a very, very small percentage. We have great kids here in the City of Springfield, but as you can see, what Director Ashe put forward - enough is enough.”
Sarno and other officials believe the pool could re-open as soon as Monday.
For now, a neighboring splash pad remains open, with kids and families making use of the space during the press conference. Other pools available in the city include the indoor pools at Gerena Elementary and Kiley Middle School.
In the meantime, Federico says his team will be regrouping and getting the pool back online – adding that the entire situation is sad, especially given much of his lifeguard staff that has experienced harassment are teenagers working some of their first summer jobs.
“I myself am very sad, not because of the pool’s draining, or - the hours and hours spent getting this pool ready, early for the public - I'm sad because my staff has to feel threatened while coming to work,” Federico said, standing alongside Sarno and Ashe, as well as a line of police officers. “Not only my staff, but the officers behind me, who have come here every single day since we've opened, even while we are closed, to help keep this pool safe. I believe no one should have to come to work feeling threatened and have their safety be threatened while at their job.”
