Officials in Rocky Mount, North Carolina are trying to limit the number of accidents that occur while people are out playing Pokemon GO. Even though they have not had any incidents reported on city property, they still plan to make preparations in order to keep people who play the game safe.
Michael Baughn, the property and risk manager for Rocky Mount mentions that since the city could not decide where PokeStops and Gyms were located, many of these areas ended up in places that are not considered safe for the public or city employees.
Baughn mentions that places such as power substations and water treatment plants could cause safety issues especially for distracted players.
At this time, about 134 locations in the city have requested to opt out of Pokemon GO. These area’s include all parks, the Imperial Center for the Arts and Sciences, as well as the Rocky Mount Sports Complex.
Even though many of these places are requesting to be removed from the app, Baughn feels that Pokemon GO still has a place in the city.
“If we could assign where the stops are, I think it could be something the city could entertain, But without knowing where all the stops and gyms are, we cannot do our due diligence as required by law. The safety of our residents and employees is paramount for us.”