Code 415pc: Threats, a transient threatened to kill the employees at the downtown Library, 40 East Anapamu.
Transient Threatens Library Employees
Roger
June 12, 2019, 5:06 am
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Written by Roger
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One more formerly wonderful public facility now abandoned to the vagrants. Parks, libraries, downtown sidewalks, creeks, waterfront, railroad right of ways – a lot of public real estate already abandoned to this population group. C’mon voters . This has gone much too far, much too far. Make this a 2019 campaign issue. Bring in new people who will push to seek solutions and have their backs then they move the law into new territory.
I’m tired. I just want out of California and I’m leaving. The cops hands are tied. The politicians are useless. One more study….. I’m gone to my 10 acres of solitude where it’s beautiful and too cold to have my new piece of paradise far away from daily fights, fires, sidewalk poop, and being cussed at. This used to be such a nice town. Now it’s an embarrassment. I can say that for I was born here 71 years ago and am so happy to leave. Cathy Murillo, you may have it. I no longer wish to call it home. It now belongs to those who do not pay your salary, nor pave your streets, nor overhead, nor anything else that keeps the city afloat. It will soon come crashing down on all of your heads while you take that photo op.
Do NOT tell ANYONE you are from California at your new destination . lol
There is hardly any staff left at the Library, it is a hollow shell of its former self. They took out all the reference stacks, the chairs, the busy information desks. Mainly it is vagrants using the free computers. I hope the downstairs children’s library is still okay. But that is a very poor statement too, they had to isolate it from the rest of the upstairs lbrary to keep the kids safe from the riff raff that now parks there, and now threatening those who have to run interference to this increasingly violent street life. This indeed is genuinely sad – what used to be a place for discovery and curiosity is one more scrap heap taken over by vagrants at the expense of resident taxpayers. We have defined the extent of the problem, ACLU and our weak police and city council have sabotaged any attempt to retake this city for its property taxpayer owners and residents. Despair now belongs to those of us who want our city and its public benefit functions back. Despair no longer defines the armies of vagrants who have systematically destroyed the quality of public life down town. How did this happen in such a short time – from the 1970’s Fig Tree to every park and public building to the entire downtown and now all public parking lots and free style street camping. Dystopian. If we can get rid of this mess, who can?
When is our police chief and mayor going to publicly address these vagrancy assaults that have undermined this sense of a wholesome, family-friendly community, When will our state elected representatives provide relief. When will the city employee union realize letting vagrants rob this city of its cash flow is their immediate concern. Stop funding parks and libraries. Close them all down and put fences around them. Use that saved operational money to fund the city employee pensions. You have tapped this city out. It is time to now start cannibalizing it instead of pouring good money after bad.
As an example of how long this “transient/homeless” take over of our Main Library has been a problem: It has been about 25 years since I walked into the Main Library, walked up to the desk and told the sweet little old lady Librarian there that a man was outside shouting and carrying on. I advised her to call SBPD. This Librarian gently admonished me with, “Oh, dear. We do have a certain element that comes here and you need to understand . . .” At which point I interrupted her and said, “No. I want you to call the police RIGHT NOW. The man is yelling, waving his arms and screaming curse words. He is threatening people.” At which point she did call 911. Poor Librarian. She was so used to people complaining about the raggedy homeless that her first thought was only how my “senses might have been offended” and not that I was serious about this guy being a danger to people.
@ 1:42 – Do you call 911 every other block as you walk down State St?
I don’t go downtown any more. I get asked for money every 5 feet. No fun.
We need state-level legislation in the form of a ballot proposition or new constitutional amendment that defines the rights and responsibilities for homeless and non-homeless since common sense no longer applies. If people want to free roam, fine, but that doesn’t mean they get to soil the nest of everyone else. With clear legislation then local municipalities like ours can actually have something enforceable to recover normal quality of life. Until bombproof legislation is in place expect the blight to expand…
That’s my upvote for you Roger. I like your opinions no matter how raw and rough.
another example to your point –
https://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-santa-barbara-pot-grows-20190612-htmlstory.html
I visit the downtown library two or three times a week. Clearly there is a problem, but it actually feels safe and pleasant there. Maybe I lead a charmed life, but the vagrant-looking people don’t harass me. And yes, they take up a lot of the comfy seating, but there are other, clean seats available. The bad apples need to be dealt with, but they haven’t spoiled the whole place. On a side note: the bathrooms, in my experience, are always clean.
Factotum, the redesign of the library, including a large, dedicated space for children, and the mysterious removal of a lot of the books, are separate issues from the problem of vagrants. Maybe you didn’t notice the vagrants before, but they were there, snoozing downstairs in what is now a lively children’s area.
If everyone who used the library respected it and the rules that have made it a public resource for so long, then everyone should be welcome. Otherwise, not. Start by making public internet access $1 for 30 minutes. For school kids, come up with punch card access. Pay toilets, like in Japan and Europe, might be next.
We needs laws in place that will prohibit all these unsanitary foul smelling derelicts from loitering in pubic spaces and buildings. It’s pathetic one cannot enjoy a walk downtown or go to the public library without having to deal with this crap. Perhaps the city needs a designated skip row area to corral them all.
I was at the library with my toddler grandchildren when this happened, It is a terrifying thing for young children to have to run the gauntlet of the frightening people who populate the entrance to the library. My youngest, age four, was really worried and said it made her nervous to go to the library. Too bad we can’t have a separate “safe” entrance for children who love the library.
The library has become the de facto day center for the poor, unsheltered, mentally ill, physically ill and the abandoned among us. Credit to the library staff for their tolerance and forebearance in providing a safe space for these folks. But it is the failure of our greater society that is to blame: We need to admit our duty of care to the least among us and to provide resources to address their needs, even when those needs are the result of self abuse. Not everyone can compete in a society which sends simple jobs out of the nation and then complains that these folks aren’t doing anything to earn their way. The suggestions of some in these comments are amazing. Should we resort to culling the “bottom” of our society so that the more successful are less uncomfortable? If so does the culling line keep moving “higher” until even the people complaining here are not welcome? Would that be justice?
How’s this: The right to sanitary conditions in public places. Outdoor public places are to be kept free of fecal matter, urine, and otherwise foul and infectious matter from humans or animals and such matter is not allowed to remain more than 24 hours. Those responsible for depositing such matter are subject to all applicable laws. Indoor public places are also to be kept free of such matter, persons entering indoor public places with such matter on their person or clothing, and persons who do not maintain proper hygiene and therefore possess unbearable stench are not allowed in public places. Municipalities are to provide access to hygiene maintenance facilities for persons lacking access to such facilities so as not to lose their right to access public facilities. Access to hygiene maintenance facilities can be provided by the municipalities themselves or outsourced to charitable organizations so that the facilities are accessible at free or reduced charge. Municipalities and responsible public officials who do not maintain sanitary outdoor or indoor public facilities and do not make hygiene maintenance facilities available will be subject to fines, loss of public office, and are financially liable to persons harmed by their dereliction of duty.
Should “the least of us” (by choice) demand to be housed, fed and catered to in one of the most expensive areas in this state? Your argument fails on all counts. This town offers more support services than any other surrounding community. All it accomplished is making Santa Barbara a dumping ground for other localities who refuse to do their share. That is the injustice. Nor is there any proof, enabling this population group to keep making unrealistic demands on local taxpayers is beneficial for anyone.
I can.
And now that L.A. has been alerted of our massive pot grows, any of the apx 60,000 gang-members now know, as well as all the “trimmers” from the north with back-pack & dogs, will soon be here also.
Ain’t SB grand?!
It sounds good but don’t tell the ACLU I’m sure they might have an issue with some of it….
This is odd to me, as I rarely get asked for money. Maybe I look poor?
$76k could go a long way in getting more security at the library. The Council is voting Tuesday to drop the rent for outdoor patio dining to $0.00 for our public right of way at the behest of property owners, business owners, real estate agents, the chamber of commerce and others. Who gains the most? Property owners who sky high rents will continue to climb. They will advertise the free space out in front of their properties that businesses will be able to encroach upon into the right of way for free as extra space. Instead, this money could be spent to help with security at the library. Keeping kids and patrons of the library safe and improving the environment must be a top priority of the city.
$75K buys a half time city position – what kind of security are you suggesting? If it is a full power law enforcement office, then $75K will by one quarter time security. If enhanced downtown with outdoor tables generates more city tax revenues, it is self sustaining. LE baby sitting our poor down town library is a lose- lose. Just close it down. Or convert the Library to a private operation so there can be access controls and membership demands made on its use by members of the public. The current status of the public library serves no useful public function.
The Hate Factory . The New Mexico State Penitentiary riot, which took place on February 2 and 3, 1980, in the state’s maximum security prison south of Santa Fe, was the most violent prison riot in American history. Mutilations and Beheadings . Hardly our Public Library. 🙂
I read it too Great book..
Our soft, doughy, PC government and law enforcement won’t do a thing to protect us normal people from the vagrants, bums and hobos, so we must adjust our lives to accommodate the whims and activities of the vagrants, bums, hobos. The rights and wishes of us law-abiding, hard-working, tax-paying residents to live in a place free from vagrants, bums and hobos count for nothing anymore. So we have to be around and tolerate vagrants, bums and hobos and their tents, drug needles, feces, urine, stolen bicycles, pit bulls, trash and stink. Tough luck if we don’t like it.
Really, you won’t even go to the library to see for yourself? I go often and am never harassed. I pay no attention to the less savory looking people, and they pay no attention to me. If you are squeamish about contamination you can avoid the upholstered chairs.
I have called 911 more in the last year than in the last decade. I will bring the cops down on any homeless person, drug addict, drunk or mentally disturbed person who is behaving in a threatening manner. I’m a bleeding heart libtard of the highest order, I believe this country has totally failed the majority when it comes to mental health and addiction issues, and I also believe that everyone has a right to enjoy being in public without being threatened or accosted. Both things can be true at the same time.
This makes me sad. I love public libraries. The one in my hometown is still beautiful and NO homeless people AT ALL. Same with the NYC public library. I remember, many many years ago when I first moved here I wanted to check out the library here and several people told me, don’t bother it’s basically a homeless shelter. I was shocked, and saddened. I’ve never even been in it and won’t go. SB is a great place to live for very limited reasons – it’s fun, nice weather, but that is about it. Not a place to call home or raise kids unless you have tons of $$ and can shelter yourself from DT. Not to mention, the pot smokers, and obnoxious health nuts who will harass regular smokers, but tolerate the pot and druggies.
Not just the ACLU: the local League of Women Voters has as one of its adopted principles (unless it got eliminated at the annual meeting): “Repeal by local jurisdictions of policies, practices, regulations, and laws that criminalize, penalize or permit the harassment of homeless persons for engaging in necessary life activities in public spaces (ie. sleeping, standing, etc.)” We wonder how many of the Leaguers spend much time downtown SB, including at the main library.