A $100,000 security increase raises questions about safety inside Waterbury’s public library

WATERBURY — The Silas Bronson Library is one of Waterbury’s most heavily used public institutions.

More than 240,000 people visit the main library each year, according to a report submitted by the library to the Board of Aldermen. The building provides free access to books, computers, internet service, educational programs, meeting rooms and other public resources.

But a significant change in the city’s newly approved Fiscal Year 2027 budget raises a question worth asking:

How safe is the library?

The city’s FY2027 budget originally included $50,000 for Security/Safety Services at the Silas Bronson Library.

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The final budget increased that line to $150,000 — an additional $100,000.

That represents a 200% increase over the original $50,000 allocation.

The total Silas Bronson Library appropriation in the FY2027 general fund is approximately $2.45 million, meaning the $150,000 security allocation represents roughly 6% of the library’s total appropriation.

The increase does not, by itself, mean the library is dangerous.

But it does raise an obvious question:

What specifically is the city paying to address?

The Library Has Previously Identified Security Problems

There is already documentation showing that security has been an issue at the library.

In a budget report to the Board of Aldermen, library officials stated that the building did not have enough interior security cameras and had no security cameras outside the building at the time of the report.

The report specifically connected the lack of exterior cameras to vandalism involving the library’s whale sculpture. According to the library, a person had been stripping metal panels from the exterior of the building, and because the activity was not captured on camera, officials were unable to stop the vandalism.

The city’s proposed 2027–2031 capital improvement plan also identifies security improvements among planned building improvements at the library.

That raises another question:

Is the $100,000 increase primarily about cameras and physical security, or is there a broader problem inside the building?

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What We Don’t Know Yet

The budget document identifies the money as “Security/Safety Services.”

It does not, by itself, explain exactly what the additional $100,000 will purchase.

That is where the investigation begins.

The Waterbury Times is seeking answers to several basic questions:

• How many security personnel currently work at the library?
• How many additional security hours will the $100,000 provide?
• Is the money being used for private security officers, city personnel, cameras, access-control systems or other equipment?
• How many calls for police service have originated from the library during the past three years?
• How many arrests or criminal incidents have occurred inside or immediately outside the building?
• How many fights, assaults, disturbances, overdoses, thefts or other safety incidents have been reported?
• Has library staff requested additional security?
• What specific incidents prompted the additional funding?
• Will security be increased during particular hours?
• Are there areas of the building that staff consider higher-risk?
• What safety procedures are in place for children and teenagers using the library?

And perhaps most importantly:

What does the library administration believe the $150,000 will accomplish that the previous $50,000 could not?

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The Homelessness Question

There is another issue that deserves careful examination.

Public libraries across the country increasingly serve people who have nowhere else to go during the day. In the winter, libraries can become particularly important as warm, publicly accessible indoor spaces.

That does not mean homelessness itself is a security problem.

It does, however, create additional challenges for public libraries that are simultaneously expected to provide open access to everyone while maintaining a safe environment for children, seniors, employees and other patrons.

The Silas Bronson Library’s mission is explicitly centered on providing free public access and serving as a focal point for the community.

That creates a difficult balance:

How does a public library remain open and welcoming to everyone while also protecting the people who work and study there?

That is the question this investigation will explore.

Safety vs. Perception

It is important not to confuse a request for additional security with proof that a building is unsafe.

A library may increase security because of vandalism, theft, staffing concerns, building design, insurance requirements, technology upgrades, changes in usage patterns or a combination of factors.

The public deserves to know which one applies here.

The $100,000 increase gives taxpayers a reason to ask.

And because the Silas Bronson Library is a taxpayer-supported public institution serving hundreds of thousands of visitors, the answer should be public.

The Waterbury Times Investigation

Is the Silas Bronson Library safe?

We are beginning to look at that question — not only at the Silas Bronson, but at the changing role of public libraries and the safety challenges they face as they increasingly function as community spaces, resource centers and, for some residents, a place to escape the cold.

The first step is simple:

Follow the $100,000.

Then find out what happened that made the money necessary.