Crime & Safety
Vandals Drain YMCA Pool Costing Center $3,000
Someone gained access to the New Tampa YMCA pool in the middle of the night and drained the pool, which officials say will cost the center $3,000 that otherwise would have gone into the community.
There is a grinch in New Tampa.
Over the weekend, likely late Sunday night or very early Monday morning, a vandal or vandals broke into the , 16221 Campton Drive, and drained the center's pool.
What may seem a harmless prank was instead a very costly crime at the worst time of the year, said YMCA spokeswoman Becky Bray.
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The drain of the center's 300,000-gallon pool is estimated to cost the YMCA roughly $3,000.
"It looks like it was deliberate because whoever did it had to have some knowledge of pool systems," Bray said. "It's sad because that money we could put back into the community, especially during the holiday season with kids and families and senior citizens in need. It's sad to lose that kind of money to a silly prank."
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Bray said the pool was surrounded by a 6-foot security fence. The center did not have a security video camera located at the pool.
YMCA offcials ask that anyone with knowledge of the incident to call the Tampa Police Department at (813) 231-6130.
The impact of the vandalism has already been felt. Earlier this week when a group of wounded veterans arrived for their regularly scheduled water therapy session, they had to be turned away.
Bray noted that other community pools have stepped in to offer temporary aquatic services to YMCA members during this period such as children's lifesaving skills and senior aquatic aerobics.
"There are so many community partners we want to thank for offering these services to help us out," Bray said. "So there is a silver lining to this awful incident. The holiday spirit is definitely alive."