Aurora library officials serious about security
Libraries are defined by their open access to free information. But that openness also leaves them vulnerable to patrons who want to abuse that availability.
In Aurora, the physical space and private security guards have reduced the number of dangerous incidents that have plagued other libraries.
A CBS2/Beacon News investigation has revealed that, on average, police have been called to one of the Aurora library's three branches 186 times a year over the past six years.
Most of those calls involved assaults, drunkenness or small thefts. But Aurora Public Library Director Eva Luckinbill says the numbers might have been worse if not for the unique conditions at Aurora's libraries.
For the last 10 years, the downtown library has employed a private security guard. Two years ago, the library added a guard at the Eola Road branch because of the proximity to Waubonsie Valley High School and the huge number of kids who swarm to the building after classes let out.
Because most of the incidents are simply disruptions or library policy violations (like looking at pornography on library computers) guards can handle most situations. But Luckinbill has instructed her staff to call police anytime they feel physically threatened.
"We're not trained to deal with that kind of behavior," she said.
Aurora police spokesman Dan Ferrelli said police have not identified the libraries as an area with a high number of incidents, despite the buildings' heavy use.
"If we're called, we respond," he said. "We respond the same way we would to any call for assistance."
The downtown facility's cramped conditions are actually a safety asset, Luckinbill said, because there are few places to hide.
This year, the library expects to have more than a million visitors at its three branches, and Luckinbill pointed out that for the vast majority, it's a good experience.
"Ninety-five percent of the time everything works well," Luckinbill said. "We do try, through our policies, to keep the library a safe, welcoming place."
