Vandalism temporarily closes five Baltimore City public pools during extreme heat

BALTIMORE (WBFF) — Baltimore City officials say a string of vandalism incidents at public pools is forcing temporary closures during one of the hottest stretches of the summer.

At Towanda Recreation Center, both pools recently had to be drained and cleaned after trash and broken glass were found in the water. The closure came during a Code Red Extreme Heat Alert, when many families rely on city pools to stay cool.

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Residents said the repeated vandalism is frustrating.

“I’m practically used to it…I see graffiti on the regular,” one resident said. “I think it’s ridiculous…people want to come in and destroy the area, the community and just trash the place.”

Another resident said pool closures take away an important resource during the summer.

“People go there to have some refreshment and stay cool during this time. If that’s not an option for them, what are they supposed to do?” another resident asked.

Officials said Towanda Recreation Center is not the only location affected.

Baltimore City’s Department of Recreation and Parks said there have been reports of vandalism or trespassing at Patterson Park Pool, Walter P. Carter Pool, Greater Model Pool and Roosevelt Park Pool.

Even with security measures in place, city officials are asking residents to call police if they see anyone inside a city pool after hours.

Each closure means fewer safe places for Baltimore families and summer programs to cool off during periods of extreme heat.

FOX45 News reached out to the Department of Recreation and Parks asking:

• What is the department doing to stop trespassing and vandalism?
• Will additional overnight security be added?
• Do city pools have security cameras?
• How much has vandalism cleanup cost taxpayers?
• How many swimming days have been lost because of these incidents?

The Department released the following statement:

Baltimore City Recreation and Parks remains committed to providing safe, welcoming, and accessible aquatic spaces for our community. We’ve made significant investments in our pool facilities over the last several years. These facilities are free because we believe every Baltimore resident deserves access to quality recreation. We take the recent incidents of vandalism and trespassing very seriously. These isolated incidents do not reflect the thousands of residents and families who use our pools responsibly every day. Our focus is on getting pools back online quickly while working with our community to ensure everyone understands the real dangers of unsupervised swimming. Baltimore City operates 17 outdoor pools in the summer. If one pool is closed for any reason, there is no shortage of places to swim and cool off during the summer months. This summer, we’ve added enhanced security measures, including cameras and off-hours security personnel at specific sites. We ask all community members to be our partners. If you see suspicious activity at a closed pool, please call 911 immediately.”

There is no additional cost for vandalism cleanup.”

Baltimore City operates 17 outdoor pools in the summer. If one pool is closed for any reason, residents have several options of places to swim and cool off during the summer months.”

The Towanda Pool will fully reopen on Thursday, according to city officials.