Pittsburgh's new public pool swim guidelines are not a chaperone policy, mayor says
Children under 15 need an adult 21 or older to accompany them at public pools in Pittsburgh during evening hours and all day on weekends.
In a news release, the city said "Family Swim" is back, and Monday was the first day. The new policy is back for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. While the rules read like the many chaperone policies popping up around the Pittsburgh area, the city is not calling it that.
"Why are we not calling this, specifically, a chaperone policy?" KDKA-TV's Barry Pintar asked Mayor Corey O'Connor on Monday.
"Our goal is to bring back 'Family Swim,'" the mayor said. "The city's always done it. We want to be family first. We believe every family should choose Pittsburgh to live. So, I think a family approach between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. allows us to do that."
The city is adamant that this is not a chaperone policy similar to — not only to the ones Kennywood and SandCastle have in place now — what the Gainey administration had in place. That administration did call it a chaperone policy.
"We do not have a chaperone policy," O'Connor said. "This is a family approach. And families swim from 5 o'clock to 7 o'clock. And it was a policy we had in the city of Pittsburgh for many, many years."
Whatever the verbiage, the rules are the same. During those allotted times, no unaccompanied minors under 15 are allowed. Already this year, city pools have seen problems. Police were called to Jack Stack Swimming Pool with juveniles reportedly fighting. Pepper spray was also reportedly sprayed there.
And even though some are saying this "Family Swim" is just another name for a chaperone policy, the mayor said this is about families and safety.
"We're just letting people know that's the time to come as a family and enjoy," O'Connor said.
This "Family Swim" policy applies to all city pools with the exception of McBride and Sue Murray swimming pools and will stay in effect until further notice.
