Sue Murray Pool set to reopen after safety concerns
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - The Sue Murray Pool closed early yesterday due to safety concerns. Police were called to an area near the pool for an investigation.
After the uptick in incidents, neighbors and parents who live nearby said enough is enough.
As a 911 call rushed police just feet away from kids playing Saturday, some said the pool should've remained closed.
Officials said it was for police activity in the same block as the pool, and those safety concerns are the reason the pool almost didn't open for the season in the first place.
"Strengthen up security around the pool to make sure our children are safe," Mayor Ed Gainey said. "Two is to ensure that inside the park that we are eliminating a lot of the criminal activity that you see."
Three weeks ago, that's what Mayor Gainey said needed to be done to ensure the pool stays open, and parents said they have seen police, but that doesn't mean the violence stops.
When the pool opened, the community was excited, including councilman Bobby Wilson, who represents the North Side.
However, not everyone agreed that the pool should be open.
One mom who didn't want to speak on camera said she thinks the pool was best left closed. After 58 emergency service calls last year for things like overdoses and fighting, she believed it should be closed until families can be fully protected.
Yet others felt the kids shouldn't be punished in the meantime.
"It definitely should be open. Just because adults who don't know how to handle their addiction, kids shouldn't be deterred from jumping in the pool," another concerned neighbor said.
As for the police situation on Cedar Avenue on Saturday, the investigation is still ongoing.
For the time being it seems as though the pool will reopen on its normal schedule.