Hartford’s Mayor Luke Bronin announced plans to develop a security system maintenance plan days after a malfunctioning security camera was unable to alert authorities to the presence of a teen who drowned at the city’s Keney Park pool.
The body of 16 year-old Jaevon Whyte was discovered at in the early hours of the morning on July 4. Police believe the Hartford teen drowned after trespassing after hours with as many as 19 friends the night before. The surveillance system designed to alert authorities had not been working for several weeks, according to city officials.
Camera and motion-detector systems were installed at Hartford’s five city pools just last year specifically to address the known problem of pool-hopping.
“We’ve been piece-by-piece building these systems out, but as we’ve been focused on putting those measures in place, I don’t think we’ve focused enough on making sure we’ve got our policies and procedures for maintenance," Bronin told NBC Connecticut.
After meeting with city departments and assessing the current status of camera and security systems city-wide, Bronin said existing policies and procedures are not clear about what to do if a security system is not working, nor who is responsible for performing maintenance. As a result, he is directing officials to develop and implement a stronger plan. “I think one of the things we need to do better, and we’re going to do better, is make sure there’s strong coordination between all the departments,” he said.
The cameras and motion-detectors at the pools are meant as a safeguard, he added. At Keney Park, a tall fence is also meant to deter pool-hoppers.
The fence is what Angela Glisson, who was at the park with family on Friday evening, felt should encourage potential trespassers to rethink their plans. “The purpose of the high fence is to keep people out, and when the door is open, it’s open for you to come in,” she said.
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Neighborhood kids, she said, have always looked for ways to beat the heat, but added, “if you slip and fall, running and playing, there’s nobody here.”
