I-TEAM: Retention pond complaints to city include damaged gates, missing locks

City records show at least 10 complaints concerning retention pond barriers around Jacksonville

Map showing city-managed retention ponds. (Copyright 2021 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved.)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A 4-year-old boy with autism died Monday after wandering off from his family.

Gavin Douyon’s body was found Monday night in a private retention pond inside a community.

In Duval County, it’s the second time a child has died in a retention pond since April.

As city leaders explore making changes, the News4Jax I-TEAM found that barriers are not currently installed around all the city retention ponds.

City leaders met Tuesday to discuss the issue. They are now considering local laws to beef up safety regulations for city-managed retention ponds as well as those that are privately owned.

MORE | Gaffney mulls requiring fences for ponds in new communities after child’s death

City records as far back as January show at least 10 complaints citing broken barriers and fences surrounding retention ponds, though it’s not clear if all the complaints involved city-managed ponds.

One person wrote to the city about a torn gate around a retention pond right next to a school. According to city records, the gate was resecured the following day.

City of Jacksonville complaint about a retention pond in Dinsmore neighborhood. (Copyright 2021 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved.)

“As far as safety measures, putting up fences, that kind of stuff needs to come from whoever makes those decisions whether that it be political recourse, property owners or whatever, but there is only so much we can do and we threw everything at it and we had a horrible and tragic loss of life,” said Asst. Chief Brian Kee with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.

City Councilmember Ju’Coby Pittman and Councilmember LeAnna Cumber have worked for more than a year to establish campaigns educating people on the dangers of retention ponds. She now says it’s time for new laws better regulating their use.

“When you talk about putting fences around retention ponds it would be very hard for first responders to get in if there was an accident to get to it,” Pittman said. “So, we are talking about natural barriers, maybe higher barriers around retention ponds. We need to make sure everyone is on board with us. There are regulations with retention ponds. We need to make there is an annual inspection that whoever the management company or the HOA that they are familiar with what’s going on and not wait until an accident or something tragic happens.”

The city currently maintains 240 retention ponds. That’s not including those that are privately owned across the city.

According to the city, not all of those retention ponds have barriers and there’s currently no city policy or state policy requiring them to.


About the Author:

Kelly Wiley, an award-winning investigative reporter, joined the News4Jax I-Team in June 2019.