What to do When the Police come Calling

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What to do When the Police come Calling!
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Keith McPhersonkeith.mcpherson_at_ubc.ca
1984-1992Elementary Teacher-LibrarianBritish
Columbia Public/Private Schools
1996 - Director, Language and Literacy Education
Research Library, University of British Columbia
2001 Councilor, Canadian School Library
Association, University of British Columbia
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What should you do when the police arrive at your
library?
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Background

• Computer theft

• Functions involving alcohol

• Sept 11, 2001

• Brawl

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Katherine Hensman told the paper that she
remembered the man because strangers aren't very
common at the small library, and when she heard
that some of the suspects stayed in her
neighborhood, she checked the sign-in logs. Sure
enough, she found a person who signed his last
name as "Alshehri" and a first name as either
"Mohad" or "Mohlad." These names were
suspiciously close to that of Mohald Alshehri,
one of the hijackers on United Airlines flight
175, which brought down the south tower of the
World Trade Center. The FBI is examining the data
on computers at that library and others on
Broward County, Florida, as well as computers at
libraries in Fairfax County, Virginia.
200 a.m. Sep. 20, 2001 PDT http//www.wired.com/
news/politics/0,1283,46991,00.html
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Despite all that has happened on Sept 11,
some experts agree that average Canadians are
more likely to feel the effects or organized
crime, than terrorism in their lives
Christiane B. Evans, Managing Editor, RCMP
Gazette, Vol 63 No.6., 2001.
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Agenda

• when do police arrive?
• when should you call police?
• policies and police
• liabilities and freedoms
• recommendations
• discussion

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Libraries and Police
Reasons for police presence in your library

• Special community programs

- Hug a Tree and Survive
- Block Parent Program
- Safety Bear Program
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Libraries and Police
Reasons for police presence in your library

• Special community programs

2. Community patrol
Increase the visibility of officers in
community Toronto Police Force
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Libraries and Police
Reasons for police presence in your library

• Special community programs

2. Community patrol
- deter crime
- strengthen police/public communications
- create safer environment
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Libraries and Police
Reasons for police presence in your library

• Special community programs

2. Community patrol
3. Safety assessment (CPTED)

• Maximize staffs view of library

• Encourage staff to watch over each other

• Rethink covered areas

• Remove graffitti

• Maximize lighting

• Safety button

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Libraries and Police
Reasons for police presence in your library

• Special community programs

2. Community patrol
3. Safety assessment
training (RAD)

• Rape Aggression Defense

• Personal safety

• Avoiding victimization

• Learning/practicing self defense

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Libraries and Police
Reasons for police presence in your library

• Special community programs

2. Community patrol
3. Safety assessment (CPTED)
4. Personal use
5. Emergencies

• Fire
• Earthquakes
• Abductions
• Lost children
• Problem patrons

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Libraries and Police
Reasons for police presence in your library

• Special community programs

2. Community patrol
3. Safety assessment (CPTED)
4. Personal use
5. Emergencies
6. Internet crimes

• Hate propaganda
• Child Pornography
• Pyramid Schemes
• Terrorism

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Libraries and Police
Reasons for police presence in your library

• Special community programs

2. Community patrol
3. Safety assessment (CPTED)
4. Personal use
5. Emergencies
6. Internet crimes
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Libraries and Police
Reasons for police presence in your library

• Special community programs

2. Community patrol
3. Safety assessment (CPTED)
4. Personal use
5. Emergencies
6. Internet crimes
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When do you call police?

• Your sixth sense makes you suspicious of a

situation or person
2. A patron is caught stealing materials
3. Disruptive patrons
4. Abuse of quiet areas
5. Stalkers
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When do you call police?
In essence, anyone or any situation breaking
community, provincial, federal, and
Canadian-endorsed international laws requires
police attendance.
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Phone 911 whenever there is an emergency in
progress that places personal or public safety
and/or security in jeopardy. Even if you suspect
a crime is in progress - Constable
Gagne, RCMP, UBC Detachment
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What do you do?

• Remain calm

2. Phone police, and/or press safety button
3. Follow procedures outlined in
policy/procedure manual
4. Do not challenge disruptive person
5. If you do approach a suspicious patron, always
phone security/police first, then approach in
pairs
6. Note the description/direction of
suspect/vehicle
7. Quietly and calmly ask patrons to leave
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before !
What should you do when the police arrive at your
library in response to a crime or emergency?
1. Dont wait for police to arrive!

• develop emerg policies and procedures
  immediately!

(or review further develop policies
procedures)
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before !
What should you do when the police arrive at your
library in response to a crime or emergency?
1. Dont wait for police to arrive!

• develop policies and procedures immediately!

• Make policy development inclusive.

• governing body

• staff

• security

• police

• community

• legal council

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before !
What should you do when the police arrive at your
library in response to a crime or emergency?
1. Dont wait for police to arrive!

• develop policies and procedures immediately!

• Make policy development inclusive

3. Post publicize
4. Train staff
5. Review regularly
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What should your policies include?
1. Support and enforcement of Canadian laws
and rights
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What should your policies include?
1. Support and enforcement of Canadian laws
and rights
2. Library bylaws, rules and expectations
governing patron conduct
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What should your policies include?
1. Support and enforcement of Canadian laws
and rights
2. Library bylaws, rules and expectations
governing patron conduct
3. Consequences for breaching rules/laws
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What should your policies include?
1. Support and enforcement of Canadian laws
and rights
2. Library bylaws, rules and expectations
governing patron conduct
3. Consequences for breaching rules/laws
4. Explanation of policys role
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Why emergency policies procedures?
1. Prepares staff
2. Informs patrons/staff of their responsibilities
3. Deters criminal activity
4. Limits librarys legal liability
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Legal Liability?
Libraries have a basic responsibility for the
development and maintenance of intellectual
freedom. CLA Statement on Intellectual
Freedom, November 18, 1985 http//www.cla.ca/about
/intfreed.htm
Public Libraries in Canada face risk of
liability as Internet access providers, resulting
from Criminal Code provisions dealing with
obscenity, child pornography, hate literature,
and sedation.
Canadian Library Association, (2000). Net Safe
Net Smart Managing Communicating About the
Internet in the Library November 2000
lthttp//www.cla.ca/netsafe/netsafe.htmgt (January
23, 2001).
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Legal Liability?
83.18 (1) Every one who knowingly participates
in or contributes to, directly or indirectly, any
activity of a terrorist group for the purpose of
enhancing the ability of any terrorist group to
facilitate or carry out a terrorist activity is
guilty of an indictable offence and liable to
imprisonment for a term not exceeding ten years.
. Amendment to Canadian Criminal Code, Bill
C-36, Anti Terrorism Bill http//www.parl.gc.ca/
37/1/parlbus/chambus/house/bills/government/C-36/C
-36_3/90168b-3E.html12
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Minimizing your risk of liability
Exercise due diligence! Kantner,
Ronald. (2000). Legal issues Resulting from
Internet Use in Public Libraries. Feliciter,
461.
1. Establish and Communicate an Internet Use
Policy
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Minimizing your risk of liability
Exercise due diligence! Kantner,
Ronald. (2000). Legal issues Resulting from
Internet Use in Public Libraries. Feliciter,
461.
1. Establish and communicate an Internet use
policy
2. Establish and communicate a complaint process
3. Train staff in Internet use policy complaint
processes
4. Use Internet filters in childrens areas
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CLA has noted a growing trend to filter
childrens workstations in public libraries as a
component of due diligence being exercised
locallyThe filtering of terminals can coexist
with full access elsewhere in the library and
preserve a range of choice consistent with public
library principles .
Archibald, G., Cook, L., Jones, S., Newman, W.,
Skrzeszewski, S. (1999). Internet Service in
Public Libraries - A Matter of Trust.
CLA Executive Council Task Force on Internet
Services in Public Libraries
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What should you do when the police arrive?
1. Remain calm, ensure staff/patrons safety
2. Meet police at door and update them on the
situation
3. Follow police instructions
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Recommendations
1. Establish and publicize emergency policies
and
complaints procedures for your library (Due
Diligence)
2. Train Staff (Identifying, Reporting - Taking
Action)
3. Promote inclusive policy development
4. Regularly review policies
5. Educate public web, notices, post policies
6. Workshop with police
7. DO NOT HESITATE to contact security and/or
police
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