>The main public library downtown has a full-time armed police guard who patrols every corner of all four floors continuously. There have been rapes, muggings and all manner of assaults. They can’t kick the homeless out until the library closes. The librarians told me they won’t go into some areas without the cop. The homeless pee and poop in the corners. This problem mostly exists because there’s a homeless shelter a block away.<
Which library? Our Central library in L.A. is like that. The architecture is comparable to NY’s. When it opens at 10 am, you will find the security guards walking to each of the 9 floors and waking up the bums at 11 am. They take over the couches, the cubicles etc..
It’s a couple of blocks away from Skid Row but located in the financial district. And people will think of me as racist when I say this, they’re all black. Not even mexican..
“Which library? Our Central library in L.A. is like that.”
The only two downtown libraries I’m familiar with are in Tallahassee and Tampa. I don’t go to either because of the homeless. Actually, I’m beginning to think it’s time to get rid of libraries. We live in the information age. I can either buy the book I want for next to nothing on Amazon.com or just download the factoid I need. Is it worth paying the library’s operating costs and the pension costs? I think not as libraries have become babysitting services and hostels for the homeless; neither of which taxpayers should pay for. Actually, I think we could get rid of 50-90% of government and we’d all be better off.