COUNTY TO PUT NEW EMPHASIS ON SECURITY AT LIBRARIES.Byline: TROY ANDERSON Staff Writer Following a recent spate of incidents at 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. County public libraries, the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday directed the librarian to develop ways to improve security. Tony Bell, spokesman for Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich Michael Dennis Antonovich (born 1939 in Los Angeles, California) is a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors representing the Fifth District, which covers northern Los Angeles County, the Antelope, Santa Clarita, Pasadena, and parts of the San Fernando and San , said the incidents among the county's 84 libraries have included fights, vandalism, molestation molestation n. the crime of sexual acts with children up to the age of 18, including touching of private parts, exposure of genitalia, taking of pornographic pictures, rape, inducement of sexual acts with the molester or with other children, and variations of these , indecency INDECENCY. An act against good behaviour and a just delicacy. 2 Serg. & R. 91. 2. The law, in general, will repress indecency as being contrary to good morals, but, when the public good requires it, the mere indecency of disclosures does not suffice to exclude and public intoxication Public intoxication, also known as "drunk and disorderly conduct" (sometimes, incorrectly, as "drunken disorderly"), is a summary offence in many countries. The laws regarding drunkenness vary wildly from one legislative body to the next and are open to a certain amount of . ``There have been reports of harassment of employees and patrons,'' Bell said. ``There have been reports of 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 and drinking and some other unsavory sorts of incidents and behaviors. ``We want to ensure, especially for children attending our public libraries, that we don't have these kinds of incidents.'' Antonovich said he wants to ensure the safety of the library system's patrons. ``The libraries are a refuge for our communities, for young and old, and especially for our latchkey children who don't have a proper home environment and who use the libraries to do their homework after school,'' Antonovich said. Public Library spokeswoman Nancy Mahr said Librarian Margaret Donnellan Todd will issue recommendations Sept. 5 on ways to improve security. Mahr said the incidents have occurred throughout the county, with a particular cluster in the Antelope Valley. ``We've had some incidents involving the greater number of homeless people there who use the library,'' Mahr said. ``Libraries are public buildings and as public buildings we welcome all members of the public. ``People at the libraries exhibit a lot of different behaviors and our staff is working to address that. We always do encourage parents to be with their children in public areas, such as the library or wherever children are.'' troy.anderson(at)dailynews.com (213) 974-8985 |
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