Warren library enforces daily closures to reduce student fighting
WARREN, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) – A local library in Warren is forced to close its doors during certain hours of the day because of ongoing altercations between students.
This year alone, police have been called to the Dorothy Busch Library more than 100 times to break up fights between students. This ongoing problem has pushed the library to take action.
"The outcry of the employees is like 'Please help us. Please keep us safe,'" said Warren city treasurer and library commission trustee Lorie Barnwell.
It's one fight after another that Barnwell says has left staff and residents at Busch Library terrified.
"Really, it's become a chronic issue the last year," Barnwell said.
The library sits across from Fitzgerald High School and has become the ultimate fight club for students.
It's an issue that prompted the Warren Library Commission last week to enforce daily closures through February.
"We have decided to close the Busch branch from 2:15 p.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday," said Barnwell.
Barnwell says the commission has contacted the Fitzgerald Public School District multiple times to create a solution but has not received cooperation.
She says the district's new policy this year forces students to leave school property as soon as classes wrap up for the day leading them to gather in the library parking lot.
"The school district is like as soon as they're (students) off our property, it's not our problem anymore," Barnwell said.
Warren police tell CBS News Detroit that the school district has also been unwilling to meet with authorities to discuss this issue.
While keeping the public safe is a top priority, police urge the school district to enforce consequences so the library's doors can remain fully open.
"We hope this really serves as a wakeup call. We did not want to close the library for this two-hour block of time, but we had to keep our residents safe. We had to keep our library employees safe," said Barnwell.
CBS News Detroit reached out to the Fitzgerald Public Schools Superintendent Hollie Stange for comment on this issue but we have not heard back.
