Council delays vote on bill to grant limited peace-officer powers to library security

The Los Angeles City Council on Friday continued consideration of state legislation to give limited peace-officer powers to library security staff, directing the Library Department and Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) to meet and attempt to resolve differences before the council reconvenes.

The matter matters because the bill would change the legal status and day-to-day duties of library security personnel in Los Angeles by granting them three authorities the Library Department requested: the power to arrest, to serve warrants and to receive criminal history information. Library officials said the limited powers would help protect staff and patrons; the LAPD and other council members warned of operational and policy problems if the city adopted the change without local agreement.

Chris Merida, business manager for the Library Department, told the council the department supports the legislation and would “be willing to enter into an MOU with LAPD” to limit the scope of duties if the bill passes. Merida said the proposal is intended to let library security do “the power to arrest, the power to serve warrants, and the ability to receive criminal history information.” He added the department had recently added five new officers and wanted the additional authorities to support security work.

LAPD Commander Mark Leap testified in opposition, saying the department does not see a need for elevating library security to peace officers. “This is just another proliferation of police officer powers, outside of the police department,” Leap said, adding that library security can now detain individuals and effect citizen’s arrests under the Penal Code and can call LAPD to make arrests.

Council members debated operational impacts and policy implications. Committee chair Nathan Holden and others said library security officers already have tools such as handcuffs and restraint authority and argued elevating them to peace-officer status would remove them from their posts when they would have to process arrests at police stations. Councilwoman Janice Misakowski and others cited the city’s prior “one city, one police” discussions and urged development of a consistent citywide policy before any legislative change.

Councilwoman Cindy Goldberg, who moved to continue the item, said the two departments should meet in the interim and report back. The motion to continue was seconded by Councilwoman Sekowsky; the council agreed without objection and continued the item to the council meeting on Tuesday. The legislative analyst noted a June deadline in the state legislature’s calendar and said a council position within the next week would be timely.

The council’s continuance asks the Library Department and LAPD to meet and attempt to reconcile operational protocols, mutual support arrangements and scope limits for any limited peace-officer authority; the council also invited review of past policies described as “one city, one police.”

If the departments do not reach agreement before Tuesday, the council will resume debate and consider whether to adopt a formal city position on the state bill.