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Warren council approves higher library security budget after tense debate over homelessness response
Summary
Warren City Council on April 14 approved increasing the Burnett Branch library security contract from up to $40,000 to up to $60,000, adding contractor reporting metrics after council members debated whether off‑duty police officers or private guards better protect staff and patrons amid growing homelessness concerns.
Council members voted 5–2 on April 14 to increase the Burnett Branch library security contract and require incident metrics and reporting from the contractor.
The move followed public comments and an extended council discussion about whether private security or off‑duty police better protect library workers and patrons. Councilwoman Moore said she opposed private guards and preferred police involvement: "I am not in favor of security guards at all. I think we should have off‑duty police officers there because the security guards . . . they're not throwing out people that are homeless."
Library staff described a decline in incidents since security began. Maria McCarville, introduced as the library director, said, "I'm the new library director. I've been here since January 26th," and told council the library keeps incident reports and has noticed fewer calls to police since the contract began.
Council members pressed the administration on contract terms. Councilman Lafferty urged adding routine metrics so the city could evaluate whether the service was still needed: "There’s no way to know anecdotally . . . does the need still exist?" Lafferty and other members asked that the contract be amendable to require Spartan 6 to provide incident counts, escalations to police, and other operational metrics.
Councilmembers also highlighted broader service gaps. Councilwoman Moore and others said the presence of people experiencing homelessness at library branches is a citywide problem that requires county and municipal coordination, while some members said security is necessary now to protect staff while longer‑term solutions are developed.
The council approved the increase "as amended" to include a reporting requirement and the ability to terminate if necessary. Votes in favor were Councilwoman Rogency, Councilwoman McGee, Councilman Lafferty, Councilman Dwyer and Councilman Noonan; Councilman Boykin and Councilwoman Moore voted no. The administration said it would provide the amended contract language and confirm termination language within 72 hours.
