Complaints about a robbery, break-ins, and panhandlers have led Durham County (N.C.) Library officials to boost security during the library’s open hours. A trustee was robbed at gunpoint in the parking lot on August 21, and library patrons have reported car break-ins and aggressive panhandlers, according to the September 1 Raleigh News and Observer.
“All the wonderful materials and services we provide are not worth much if people are fearful of coming to the library,” Board Chair Bessie Carrington wrote in an August 24 letter to Durham County commissioners. She added that the robbery was the most serious of a string of incidents that have caused concern among civic organizations holding meetings at the main branch.
Interim County Manager Carolyn Titus announced August 31 that the deputy sheriff who has been on evening duty in the library’s parking lot will now be present throughout the library’s hours of operation. “I think that’s a step in the right direction,” Carrington told reporters. “I hope this will make a difference.”
Posted September 4, 2000.