ImagineIF Libraries Adds Security Presence to Kalispell Branch
Recent increases in violent incidents at the library’s flagship branch prompted trustees vote to add unarmed security guard
By Micah Drew
Following an increasing number of incident reports filed at the Kalispell branch of the ImagineIF Libraries, the board of trustees at a Jan. 30 special meeting approved the hiring of an unarmed security guard.
The decision to heighten security at the public libraries’ flagship branch in downtown Kalispell follows a steep increase in disturbances in recent years, including instances of trespassing and violence, as well as drug and alcohol use. In 2022, ImagineIF staff recorded 254 incident reports filed for the Kalispell branch — 96% of the total incidents across the system’s four locations — up from just 66 in 2019. In the first 19 operating days of 2023, the Kalispell branch had already logged 53 incidents.
“I’ve seen more threats of physical violence toward patrons or staff, and I’ve trespassed more people in the last six months than I have in the 16-and-a-half years before that,” Adult Services Librarian Tony Edmundson told the trustees at their regular meeting on Jan. 26. After that discussion, the board opted to convene a special meeting on Jan. 30 to address the security concerns.
During that meeting, several options were considered by the board and staff members, including limiting access to patrons with library cards, limiting computer and Wi-Fi access and hiring security.
ImagineIF Library Director Ashley Cummins recommended hiring an unarmed security officer from Alert Security and Investigations at an hourly rate of $35.
Cummins recommended the unarmed option, which means that the security officer would not carry a firearm, but would be equipped with pepper spray, have undergone baton training and be able to remove patrons in violation of behavioral rules, eliminating potentially dangerous interactions for staff members.
Edmundson and Cummins recommended the officer be posted on site from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., six days a week, a time frame Edmunson characterized as when “the more egregious, or aggressive instances” occur.
“I could offer a million examples,” he told the board at its Monday meeting. “As I said at the last board meeting, we need help. We very much appreciate you all taking that seriously and having a special meeting to discuss it and taking action. We need the help.”
Trustee chair Doug Adams discussed whether a narrower time frame would suffice while also helping defray the cost, which was not included in the budget for the remainder of the fiscal year. He also recommended the new position be subject to a month-by-month review to evaluate whether it was helping to lower incident rates.
Adams also tied the recent uptick in incidents to the city of Kalispell’s decision to close off the Depot Park gazebo and Woodland Park picnic shelter, locations that homeless and unsheltered individuals have continuously occupied for the past several months during daytime hours. Adams spoke at a Kalispell City Council work session on Jan. 25 where councilors considered new rules governing public spaces, saying they wanted to see potential ordinances crafted in a way that would make them applicable to public buildings such as the library.
“For the city to have a policy, I think it would be easier and better able to back it up,” Adams told the trustees. “I made the point that if you take [homeless individuals] out of the parks, they’re not going to disappear. They’re going to move somewhere else. And I think we’re already seeing that.”
“I do want to stress that it is vital that we still maintain open access for everyone to come into a public library and get information,” Edmundson added, while agreeing that the sudden increase in transient individuals occupying the library did seem to correspond to the city’s actions. “And when we’re talking about behavior in the library it’s not always just somebody who’s coming in for warmth. I’ve had business owners I’ve had to trespass and kick out of the library.”
In addition to the security guard, the ImagineIF trustees will consider policy changes that could improve safety for staff, including limiting access to the library’s basement area and public meeting room and requiring patrons fill out a form or provide a library card for computer use. “As much as I hate spending money, it seems like the thing to try,” Adams said. “I’ve always said the safety of the staff comes first. If we can’t do our best to ensure that, then we’re failing.”