Resident urges ban on 'machine‑gun' video games at Guadalupe branch, citing supervision concerns

During the public‑comment period a resident, Mark Rockland, urged the council to prohibit 'interactive machine gun war games' at the Guadalupe branch of the Santa Maria Public Library, saying the games are played by children without parental permission and are disruptive to patrons and to school efforts across the street.

Rockland described the branch as supervised by a single employee and said children fill the library computers after school to play first‑person shooter games until computers shut down shortly before closing. He told the council the content includes gruesome conversation and discourages other patrons from using the facility for reading, homework and study. He said the policy "demonstrates disdain for parents and children" and that employees at the branch have supported the petition asking the council to encourage children to check out books and use computers for homework rather than violent games.

Rockland cited national statistics in his remarks and attributed studies linking violent‑game exposure to risky behavior around firearms; those studies were presented as part of his argument but were not offered as formal evidence by city staff during the meeting.

What happens next: The petition was presented to the council during public comment. No immediate staff directive or ordinance was introduced at the meeting; the matter would require a staff report and formal agenda item for any regulatory change to library policy.