Anyone under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult at Highland Park pool

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — The city says a new rule at the Highland Park pool is about stopping the violence.

The city said the new rule is for issues it says "have run the gamut from disorderly behaviors to physical fights."

A new sign now sits at the entrance of the Highland Park pool. Effective immediately, anyone under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

Late on Tuesday morning just before the pool opened to the public, Bruce Baugh walked through the front gates. Baugh knows what it is like to be on staff here. He was a lifeguard at the pool in the 1970s. So, needless to say, the problems he's been seeing during his regular visits are something he does not like.

"Kids get rambunctious and whatnot in the summer," he said. "We know that, but ya gotta have some sort of control factor in there so that everybody can enjoy it."

The city plans to not allow unaccompanied minors to roam free, the source of a lot of the problems that end up in the news. In 2023, the Jack Stack Pool in Brighton Heights was shut down following a fight that led to a deadly shooting.

One year later, the city is being proactive in stopping this type of thing. Right now, this rule only applies to the Highland Park pool.

In addition to the new rule, officers with the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police will drive by the pool once every hour. They will also get out of their vehicles and walk around the pool.