Decades-old NYC policy requires NYPD to open public pools, leading to frequent delays

Decades-old NYC policy requires NYPD to open public pools, leading to frequent delays

City pools can't open without NYPD officers present, according to a parks department policy. Parks employees reported NYPD officers showed up late more than 200 times last summer. [ more › ]

Decades-Old NYPD Rule Causes Delays At City Pools

If you show up early to cool off at one of New York City’s outdoor pools, your biggest obstacle might not be the crowds or the heat. It might be the NYPD. A decades-old Parks Department practice requires that police officers be on site before staff can open the gates at the city’s 51 outdoor pools. In reality, that rule is quietly shaving time off New Yorkers’ swim days. City data show officers were late dozens of times last summer, just as the …