National City residents may have noticed an unexpected addition to their library’s staff — police officers.
Under what they described as a pilot program, officials in February replaced the library’s private security with police in response to heightened security needs. Now, one officer is present at the library during most afternoons.
“We were finding ourselves in situations having to call our police officers anyway for backup or for assistance,” said Danielle Ghio, the city’s director of library services.
Data that inewsource obtained shows a roughly 80% increase in calls for service to the library from 2023 to 2024. Reported disturbances of the peace, the most common type of call at the library, more than doubled during that time.
Police Chief Alejandro Hernandez said library staff requests when they want an officer present. “Libraries across the board have issues and how much security you put at these facilities, at these libraries, it's very important,” Hernandez said. “Giving quality security for our community was very important, and so that's why we decided to do this.”
National City’s approach differs from that of nearby cities. San Diego does not use officers, though security guards are armed at its downtown and City Heights locations. Chula Vista doesn’t use security guards at any of its branches, a city spokesperson told inewsource.
Margaret Godshalk, the chair of National City’s Library Board of Trustees, spoke against the decision.
“The safety of our staff and patrons is imperative,” Godshalk said at a City Council meeting earlier this year. “We need to ensure that they are safe. However, I don't believe that the way to achieve this is to have someone carrying arms in the library.”
Ghio said staff so far have received positive feedback on the police presence.
“This is kind of like a dual program, not just for the library, but for the community and for the police department as well, to really integrate us all into the community and make us feel like we're a united front,” Ghio said.”
Officers receive overtime pay while working at the library. The additional cost is covered by funding previously used to pay for private security.
