Dear Members,
As you are probably aware there was an incident here on Monday, February 20th that involved an altercation between several men, who were using the gymnasium. There have been reports that weapons were present outside, luckily no one was hurt. This situation did cause a disturbance and was concerning for members who were using the Y at the time.
As a result of the quick response of staff and the local police, several arrests and warrants have been issued and more information is being gathered as to how the incident occurred so future issues do not arise.
As members your confidence in our ability to create a safe environment at our YMCA is important to us. As a team we feel that being transparent with our information is crucial. A few immediate action steps we have created as a result of this incident are:
- The branch has temporarily reorganized the check in area to stop everyone as they come in the front door.
- We have increased staffing at the desks and in the gym area especially during school vacation.
- This letter has been posted on our web site under “News” and “Greendale Branch.”
- Guest passes are discontinued until further notice.
- We are updating and responding on our social media sites.
- A security tour occurred this morning with our Branch Board to have fresh eyes make security recommendations.
As we assess safety and security at the Greendale Family Branch we will continue to make changes. If you do have any questions about this recent incident or anything else, please do not hesitate to contact Ken Mierzykowski at 508-755-6101ext. 241 orChristina Puleoat 508-852-6694 ext. 295.
Sincerely,
Ken Mierzykowski Christina Puleo
Executive Vice President/COO Associate Executive Director
YMCA of Central Massachusetts Greendale Family Branch
