New Yorkers eager to take a dip in one of the city’s public pools last summer were repeatedly kept waiting by police officers who failed to show up to their shifts on time, according to data shared by the parks department.
A decades-old city policy requires NYPD officers to be in place before the parks department can let swimmers into the city’s 51 outdoor pools across the five boroughs. Most pools are open for two daily sessions throughout the summer, one from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and another from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
The city’s pools reopen for the 2026 season on Saturday, though city officials say the Red Hook Pool’s opening has been delayed due to an as-yet undetermined date due to equipment damage…