Staying cool was not an option for some residents in Waterbury Friday.
Police said vandals struck Fulton Park Pool overnight, forcing the pool to close for what could be a week.
Waterbury Police said vandals got inside the pool area and broke into the storage facility and grabbed everything from paint and chemicals to equipment. They then dumped everything inside the pool. Vandals also sprayed graffiti on a pool building, but that was cleared by Friday evening.
“There was a fridge, a microwave, a chair, safety equipment,” said Joe Begnal, assistant water director. “Pretty much anything inside the storage got thrown in.”
They had to turn away lots of families and are working to reopen the pool, but it will cost several thousand dollars to fix.
The real concern is that the paint may have gone into the filtration system, making it more difficult to clean.
“This is devastating because it’s so foolish,” said Mayor Neil M. O’Leary. “It’s absolutely despicable.”
This isn’t the first time Waterbury pools have been targeted. Last July vandals struck all three city pools, but the destruction at Fulton Pool on Friday was by far the worst.
Begnal said there was no surveillance of the crime. Police ask that if you have any information to call Crime Stoppers at 203-755-1234.