Public speakers press Santa Monica library board on safety as staff outline patrols, cameras and banning process

Public concern over safety at Santa Monica’s library system dominated the meeting of the Santa Monica Library Board, where members heard several public comments about drug use and aggressive behavior and staff described the systems they use to respond.

At the start of public comment, John Alley said the downtown library has become unsafe and urged the city to address security, calling for board members to raise the issue at city council meetings. Denise Barton, a downtown resident, said she avoids the library unless accompanied because she does not feel safe walking there. Whitney Veil told the board that staff and LSOs responded to a recent incident in which they recovered “a loaded 9 millimeter Glock 19” from a person in the library and praised staff for quickly involving police.

In response, library staff outlined a multi‑layered approach to…