The Recreation Department found 676 people without IDs during the month of December at swimming pools south of County Road 466 in The Villages.

That’s a tiny number considering that 127,512 IDs were checked at those pools that month, said Recreation Director John Rohan.

He presented the report Wednesday to the Amenity Authority Committee during its meeting at Savannah Center. Rohan had prepared the report for the Project Wide Advisory Committee, which oversees amenities south of County Road 466. The PWAC board won’t be meeting this month due to a lack of business, so with the fresh information in hand, Rohan decided to offer it to the AAC, which oversees amenities north of County Road 466.

Rohan’s department continues to try to battle the belief that the pools are regularly being used by “outsiders.” Community Development District 10 Supervisor Steve Bova, a member of PWAC, has pushed Rohan on the longstanding policy not to ask swimmers to get out of the pools to show their IDs. Bova said that it’s a well-known solution for those without IDs to jump into the pool to avoid being checked.

Rohan said the December data shows a very high compliance rate at the pools.

He outlined the steps that are taken by the Recreation Department when a violation occurs:

• When a card is not presented, personal information is recorded on a non-compliance report and verified as resident or guest. Recreation Administration places a call to educate the resident or the resident that sponsored the guest.

• A letter is sent after a third offense of non-compliance

• A suspension is issued after a fourth offense of non-compliance

Deputy District Manager Carrie Duckett said residents, many influenced by “social media,” wrongly believe apartment dwellers are dipping in the pools in Florida’s Friendliest Hometown.

“There is a huge misunderstanding that all of our pools are being inundated by people from apartments around The Villages,” she said.

She said the violators are not from apartments.

“It’s typically a resident with a friend,” Duckett said.

She also encouraged residents to contact the Recreation Department if they believe they see someone at the pool who does not have the proper resident or guest ID.

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