BILL GIVES LIBRARY GUARDS MIGHT.Byline: Jason Kandel Staff Writer Book 'em boys. That could become the refrain of Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. library security guards under a new bill that would give them arresting power. Senate Bill 1578 sponsored by state Sen. Richard Ri·chard , Joseph Henri Maurice Known as "Rocket." 1921-2000. Canadian hockey player. A right wing for the Montreal Canadiens (1942-1960), he led his team to eight Stanley Cup championships and was the first player to score 50 goals in a Alarcon A·lar·cón , Pedro Antonio de 1833-1891. Spanish writer noted particularly for his shorter novels, such as The Three-Cornered Hat (1874). , D-Van Nuys, would give Los Angeles library guards the power to arrest and serve search warrants, but not carry guns. Currently, library guards can make citizens' arrests and wait for the police to pick up the perpetrators. Only library guards in Los Angeles are addressed in the bill. The bill, which cleared the Senate public safety committee Tuesday and now heads to the full Senate, is opposed by the state's three leading police officer organizations. But proponents say L.A.'s library guards need the additional authority. ``This status is a very good tool,'' said Public Library Chief of Security Ernest Love. ``You ask us to a job to protect the public, staff and the property.'' Between 1993 and 1994, there were 46 felony felony (fĕl`ənē), any grave crime, in contrast to a misdemeanor, that is so declared in statute or was so considered in common law. crimes committed in public libraries. Between 1995 and 1996, that number rose to 85. In the Valley, the Pacoima branch library is among those seeing a large share of incidents, Love said. There are 42 security officers and five supervisors who are responsible for overseeing and protecting 67 libraries in the city. Half of the staff is based at Central Library downtown, while the other half is spread across the city. ``We need to make all of our public libraries as safe as possible,'' Alarcon said. ``The main consideration here is to make libraries places that are safe and to encourage kids to be involved in positive activities. They can't do this if libraries are invaded by crime.'' It's been a four-year battle by library officers to improve their status. Union representatives approached Alarcon's office about a year ago with the request. One of the main complaints was that the officers have to frequently wait more than an hour for the police to arrive while they detain de·tain tr.v. de·tained, de·tain·ing, de·tains 1. To keep from proceeding; delay or retard. 2. To keep in custody or temporary confinement: perpetrators in their offices for crimes such as vandalism The intentional and malicious destruction of or damage to the property of another. The intentional destruction of property is popularly referred to as vandalism. It includes behavior such as breaking windows, slashing tires, spray painting a wall with graffiti, and , vagrancy vagrancy, in law, term applied to the offense of persons who are without visible means of support or domicile while able to work. State laws and municipal ordinances punishing vagrancy often also cover loitering, associating with reputed criminals, prostitution, and , simple assaults, and stealing books. The bill also would give library officers the ability to transport someone they arrest to an LAPD 1. LAPD - Link Access Procedure on the D channel. 2. LAPD - Los Angeles Police Department. facility. ``This would allow the library security force to better carry out their function of maintaining safety,'' said L.A. libraries spokesman Peter Persic. ``We've been working with elected officials to try to get this to happen many years. I applaud Sen. Alarcon. He's always been a library supporter even when he was a councilman.'' |
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