St. Paul’s School closes Turkey Pond docks to public following violent altercation in June

St. Paul's School closed the docks at Turkey Pond to the public after concerns about safety.

St. Paul's School closed the docks at Turkey Pond to the public after concerns about safety. Sofie Buckminster—Monitor staff

By SOPHIE LEVENSON

Monitor staff

Published: 07-18-2024 5:10 PM

Concord has one less place to swim, thanks to violence on the docks.

Donald Sullivan, director of Safety and Compliance at St. Paul’s School, sent an email to faculty and staff at the private school July 12 announcing the closure of the public-access to the docks on Turkey Pond. He explained that the school is in the process of installing gates, fences and signage to close off the area to the public.

Sullivan did not specify whether this would be a temporary or permanent closure, but school representatives said in an email to the Monitor Thursday they hope to reopen the popular swimming spot sometime in the future.

The decision to prevent public access to the docks follows an altercation that occurred in June between a group of young teenagers and a trio of young adults. The older group, who reportedly started the fight, fled before security officials arrived on scene.

By building fences and posting “private property” signs around the docks, St. Paul’s hopes to prevent further issues of this nature.

“We are very sorry to have to take these measures, but we must prioritize safety, particularly for children and for our ASP students, who should be able to access the ponds without concerns about aggressive behavior and substance use by others,” Director of Commutation Karen Ingraham said on behalf of the school.

ASP, or the Advanced Studies Program, is a five-week residential academic program for rising juniors in New Hampshire public high schools. ASP students live on St. Paul’s campus, hence the school’s concern for their safety on and around the docks.

“For years, we have been able to host many people who enjoy the ponds,” Ingraham wrote. “That a small group has created an unsafe situation is very unfortunate, and we hope to be able to return to our previous practice when it is safe to do so.”

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Sophie Levenson can be reached at slevenson@cmonitor.com.