MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Pools like L.E. Brown have been locked up since last summer, but what happened here last July may change pool rules.
Thirteen-year-old Cedric Walton climbed over the locked fence with some friends for a free swim and never left the water.
As the pool sets to re-open this year, it brings back a lot of memories.
“He was in the neighborhood. Everybody knew him. He was like one of our children really,” said neighbor Anjanette Edwards.
The drowning put the spotlight on problems at city pools, including the fact that cameras that should have been recording activity, capturing the break in, and stopping the children were not working.
Then began the blame claim from the hired security who monitors the cameras, to AT&T and its wi-fi failure to the City of Memphis.
Last July, it was the heat of the mayoral election and then candidate Jim Strickland said how the City of Memphis and Mayor A C Wharton handled the pool issue was unacceptable.
“The city administration, the Wharton administration knew prior to the death that the Internet was down. It’s shown no accountability,” Strickland said last August.
When WREG asked about Strickland’s plans for city pools this year, the City and Parks Department said hold off.
They said things are still being finalized, and refused to give any details.
Pools open in 3 weeks.
The City of Memphis refuses to talk now, but last year candidate Strickland said the solution was an easy fix.
“There is other technology out there that can be used as backup. I don’t think it would be that expensive. So, we ought to implement that at all these swimming pools,” Strickland told WREG last summer.
After WREG inquiries, the Parks Department said we should expect a special roll-out soon, but wasn’t ready to say exactly what or when.
Will a new security firm take over?
Has the new technology been put in so cameras will work?
Will pools have extended hours and days to accommodate kids with nothing to do so they won`t resort to breaking in for a swim?
We were told city pools will open June 11.
