Deputy Sheriffs Concerned By Trouble At Beaver Co. Pool
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The pool at Old Economy Park in Baden, Beaver County, should be a safe and family-friendly place to have fun. Most days it is. But not always.
"There was a fight between about 15 people that I personally broke up," pool manager Mike Weaver said. "Kids have been calling each other racial slurs, derogatory homosexual names."
Weaver is concerned about his young staff of lifeguards dealing with the trouble.
"There was a particular incident the other day where a woman started screaming F-words at the top of her lungs, and just because of that, about two dozen families just got up and left."
"I think the commissioners are going to look to all different avenues of what can be done," Chief Deputy Sheriff Jay Alstadt said.
He said the county is trying strike a balance between deputies' work at the courthouse, escorting prisoners and park pools.
"Prior to this, for at least the seven years I've been here, we've had a deputy on duty during the summer while the park has been open," he said.
When a deputy sheriff patrolled the pool, the rowdy behavior was minimal. But that deputy was reassigned.
"We just ran out of enough manpower to handle it all," Alstadt said. "The man on the pool was brought back into the courthouse."
For the time being, pool staff has been instructed to call 911 at the first sign of trouble.
Security cameras are already keeping an eye on pool activity. But some of the patrons would like to see a few more changes, even bringing that deputy back.
"If that solves the issue, then I think that was a very good use of our taxpayer money," patron Marian Acon said, "and I do think he should be brought back."
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