The region’s libraries have an array of patrons. That includes many people experiencing homelessness, who often use the public buildings to escape heat during the summer, cold and rain during the winter, or simply as a way to temporarily escape the streets. The vast majority are peaceful and law-abiding.
But some individuals have caused disruptions that raise serious concerns. A Westside Current review of 911 call data from 25 of the 72 Los Angeles City library branches found that LAPD officers were dispatched to libraries more than 900 times last year. Many of the calls involved unhoused individuals and stemmed from reports of violence, drug use, and trespassing.
The trouble is particularly acute at certain branches.
At the West Los Angeles Branch at 11360 Santa Monica Boulevard, where Rachel was parked, the LAPD responded to 98 emergency calls in the last two years. The incidents included violent disturbances, overdoses, narcotics-related activity, robbery, and reports of sexual assault and child endangerment. In several cases, dispatch logs show officers encountering individuals suffering from apparent mental illness or intoxication. Other incidents involved criminal threats and emergency medical transports.
Who knew working as a librarian at a public library could be so dangerous?
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My younger daughter earned her Master's Degree in Library Science and she worked in a public library for a while before moving on to another career. But the library where she worked (which was in Houston) never experienced problems this severe, although it certainly did have its difficulties. How sad that modern libraries are having to deal with such incidents.
ReplyDeleteIt's shocking really to hear about the severity and variety of crimes occurring at the public libraries in Los Angeles. Not to mention the amount of these crimes that occur.
DeleteI've been physically threatened and once attacked by people at the library, so I get it. We now have panic buttons installed. Mental illness, substance abuse, schizophrenia, etc are constant problems.
ReplyDeleteHow awful!! One usually thinks of being a librarian as a benign job... Or at least a safe one where one doesn't have to be concerned about being attacked or threatened.
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