Assaults, harassment increase at city libraries: report

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This article was published 28/02/2025 (220 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeg library staff have been forced to contend with skyrocketing incidents of assault and harassment.

An incident report shows assaults rose 75 per cent and incidents of harassment jumped 92 per cent in the final three months of 2024, compared to the same period in 2023.

“We are aware there are increasing numbers of safety and security incidents across the library system as there are in other sectors in our community, such as health care, retail, transit, etc.,” a city spokesperson said in an email.

The civic community services meeting will review the report at its meeting next week.

Committee chair Vivian Santos wasn’t available to comment Friday.

The downtown Millennium Library reported half of the incidents, including 43 assaults and 25 cases of harassment.

Gord Delbridge, president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 500, which represents library workers, said the report shows the facilities need more staff.

“Our libraries are the lowest staffed in comparison to any other municipality across the country,” Delbridge said on Friday.

“Having more staff in place means there are more eyes. People feel more comfortable — patrons — when there is more staff. When people are being better monitored, they’re less likely to cause issues.”

Hazardous conditions, which are defined as issues related to buildings, such as a loose ceiling tile, jumped to 73 from 16 in 2023.

The city said it changed the reporting system in August 2024, which has resulted in a broader range of incidents being reported in this category.

At Millennium, attendance continues to increase, the report says. Customer visits at all library branches have either increased or remained stable, with only three locations reporting a downturn.

City libraries had a 15.4 per cent bump in visitors in the final quarter of 2024 compared to the same period a year earlier.

The city said the increase in assaults and harassment would be linked with the boost in foot traffic.

“The number of programs being offered, and our attendance rates, have both increased since 2023, which in turn can affect the number of potential incidents, including unattended child incidents,” the spokesperson said. “Library staff receive training related to child safety and are diligent in identifying situations when a child is unattended in the library.”

One safety initiative that has undergone a radical change is the Millennium’s community connections hub, which had to close Dec. 31, 2024, after the city scrapped funding amid budget pressure. Library staff and community safety hosts helped connect vulnerable people to social supports.

City council later approved the proposal to have the Downtown Community Safety Partnership move into the site, to offer similar services through a pilot project from April 1 to May 31.

CUPE 500 filed a grievance because it believes the move violated its collective agreement.

“I suspect we are going to see more incidents as a result,” Delbridge said, calling the decision a big mistake.

The city hasn’t yet responded to CUPE’s grievance.

Delbridge said all levels of government should support the work of community connections, which he said has made a difference.

He acknowledged the province increased library funding, but didn’t allocate money to the community connections program and other security services.

“And the municipal government, the City of Winnipeg, should be budgeting for those specific things as well,” he said. “It will only continue to get worse. Neglect gets expensive.”

scott.billeck@freepress.mb.ca