Police Warn Against Swimming in Niles Creek

Fremont police warned residents and visitors on May 22 not to swim or gather in the Niles Creek area ahead of Memorial Day weekend, saying the spot is both illegal to enter and dangerous. The warning appeared in the city’s May 22 community bulletin and said officers would patrol the area through the holiday weekend. The notice said the enforcement effort is being carried out with the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, Alameda County and Caltrans. The city said people found trespassing can face citations or arrest, and illegally parked vehicles can be cited or towed. ### What exactly did Fremont police tell people not to do? The May 22 city bulletin said “swimming or gathering in the Niles Creek area is both illegal and unsafe,” and urged anyone planning a Memorial Day outing to stay away from the site. The same notice said officers would be “on patrol in the area this weekend, keeping an eye out for trespassers.” (content.govdelivery.com) Fremont police did not post a matching press release on the department’s public news list as of May 23, but the department’s website directs residents to its alert system and social media accounts for timely updates. The police department’s website lists Nixle and social platforms as channels for public safety notices. (content.govdelivery.com) ### Why are police focusing on Niles Creek before Memorial Day? Memorial Day weekend falls on May 25 this year, and warm-weather holidays typically draw more people to creeks and rivers across the East Bay. Fremont’s warning was issued one day before the holiday weekend began. The city’s bulletin tied the warning to safety risks at the site and to trespassing enforcement on surrounding lands. (fremontpolice.gov) The notice did not give a new incident count, but Patch and other local reports have linked the warning to past drownings in and around Fremont creek areas. ### What is known about past drowning incidents in the area? (content.govdelivery.com) Patch reported in June 2024 that an 11-year-old girl drowned in Alameda Creek in Fremont on Memorial Day after emergency crews responded to a report of a drowning near Niles Canyon Road. The report said officials also warned against swimming as a heat wave intensified. (content.govdelivery.com) In a separate 2023 case, local reports said a 26-year-old man drowned in a creek in Fremont’s Niles district after a 911 call near Third and I streets. KTVU and Patch both reported that multiple agencies responded to that incident. The May 22 bulletin did not say those cases occurred at the exact same access point now under patrol, but the city cited safety and trespassing concerns in the Niles Creek area itself. (patch.com) That connection is an inference based on the city warning and prior local reporting about nearby creek drownings. ### Which agencies are involved in enforcement? (ktvu.com) Fremont’s May 22 notice said the police department is working with the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, Alameda County and Caltrans. The city did not describe each agency’s role in detail, but the bulletin said the joint effort covers the Niles Creek area and surrounding lands. (content.govdelivery.com) The enforcement language in the bulletin was specific: violators “will be cited and/or arrested,” and vehicles parked illegally “will be cited and/or towed.” The city did not announce a start or end hour for patrols. ### Where can residents look for updates over the weekend? The Fremont Police Department website lists its community alert system and official social media accounts as places for public updates. (content.govdelivery.com) The department’s homepage also shows the police lobby is closed May 25 for the city-observed holiday. May 25 is the Memorial Day holiday date listed on the department calendar, and Fremont said patrols would continue through the weekend in the Niles Creek area. (content.govdelivery.com) Residents looking for official notices can monitor Fremont police alerts and city bulletins as the holiday period continues. (fremontpolice.gov) (fremontpolice.gov)