The Santa Monica Public Library may strengthen security later this summer in response to an assault and vandalism that occurred at the Main Library last month.
John William Randall, a 49-year-old transient, was arrested June 26 after fighting with another homeless man over a computer, according to the Santa Monica Police Department. Holding a knife, he choked him and attempted to gauge his eyes out with this thumbs before library staff intervened and separated them.
On June 2, several volumes in the periodicals area were sprayed with a liquid that staff believes is likely urine, said Patty Wong, director of library services. Staff immediately closed and cleaned the section, removing the damaged materials, and moved the irreplaceable and valuable parts of the collection to a more secure area, Wong said.
The damaged materials are under evaluation for cleaning or discard, she added. All of the materials are available for retrieval via request at the service desk.
Many people experiencing homelessness stay in Santa Monica’s libraries during the day and the city of Santa Monica has deployed between four to six library services officers at the Main Library and neighborhood branches to work with the population. The city is also planning to station a social worker at the library to connect individuals with services.
In the past month alone, however, almost 100 calls to the police were made from the 600 block of Santa Monica Boulevard, where the Main Library is located. The number of calls made was among the highest of any block downtown and police data from previous months shows the same trend.
Wong said the library services officers educate patrons on the library’s rules of conduct and enforce those rules. However, stronger security may be needed, she said.
“In the past month, there have been two disturbing incidents,” she said. “We don’t take these situations lightly. We are exploring ways to strengthen security for implementation later this summer.”
The city is dedicated to the health and safety of library patrons, Wong said.
“As high traffic public spaces, we take great care to help ensure everyone feels welcome at all library branches,” she said. “We want our library patrons to know that we care about their experiences and we’re committed to fostering a safe and enriching environment for everyone.”
madeleine@smdp.com