MIRAMAR, Fla. — In a sudden reversal just days after assuring the public that playgrounds at Miramar Regional Park were safe, the city has locked them up, a move that comes only after Local 10 News raised serious safety concerns.
Last Wednesday, Local 10 reported on the deteriorating condition of two playgrounds at the park, located at 16801 Miramar Parkway, based on a parent’s anonymous complaint and corroborated by photos and social media posts dating back nearly 10 months.
Local 10 News documented rusted and corroded metal throughout the structures, sharp jagged edges where coating had worn away, and exposed climbing surfaces that could injure children.
One parent said her daughter’s hands had been stained with rust, and community members questioned whether the equipment should remain open.
Despite these issues, the city initially told Local 10:
“Staff maintain continuous oversight,” and “any condition approaching a safety threshold is addressed immediately through repair, mitigation, or temporary restriction of use.” Officials also claimed “daily inspections determine if they are safe for public use” and insisted they had received “no formal complaints,” despite social media posts highlighting safety hazards months earlier.
City Coordinator Sean Hennessy further stated that the playgrounds, installed in 2004, were showing “signs of aging,” but assured that staff were actively addressing problems and that Capital Improvement Project funding was allocated for upgrades in the fourth quarter of 2026.
Fast forward to Monday afternoon, when Local 10 observed city employees meticulously inspecting the playground equipment ― this time with the playgrounds closed and locked.
A new statement from the city’s public information officer, Debon Campbell, reads:
“Out of an abundance of caution, our Parks & Recreation team temporarily closed the playground to conduct a thorough and comprehensive safety inspection. Our staff is currently reviewing the equipment to assess its overall condition. For now, we are maintaining the closure out of extra caution.”
For parents like Jan Martinez, the change in messaging raises serious questions:
“I don’t think it is safe at all. I didn’t notice it before, but it’s definitely concerning,” Martinez said.
Delroy Blue, who visits the playground with his three children, was blunt:
“One of the kids can get injured on that… that sharp edge. To be honest with you? No, it shouldn’t be open.”
Mabel Valez echoed these concerns, her daughter’s hands stained with rust from the playground equipment.
The contrast between the city’s assurances last week and the closure now underscores a troubling reality.
It took a Local 10 investigation for Miramar to take meaningful action.
Social media complaints stretching back nearly a year suggest these hazards were not new.
“We live five minutes from here… so it is convenient, but I’d rather take him somewhere else that is a little bit more safe,” said a concerned parent.
The city plans to complete a comprehensive review of the equipment before deciding on next steps, but until then, parents are left with little choice but to keep their children away from the park’s playgrounds.
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