Queen's Crescent Library Security: Residents' Concerns

0:00On March 11, concerns are growing over security at Queen's Crescent Library in Camden where local say drug users are taking advantage of open facilities. A former community leader raised the alarm at a recent council meeting, pointing to threats against them and risks to staff from people injecting drugs in the toilets. He described a personal run-in last Friday with a woman demanding money who turned aggressive when he refused. He also noted that a security guard was pulled from the library in 2023 due to budget issues, leaving the space more vulnerable to rough characters in the area. Residents worry this could scare off users and even lead to the library closing like other local services that have shut down. The library remains a vital hub for the community and there's talk of starting a friendsgroup to support it. Council officials push back, saying they haven't seen more incidents since removing the guard. They're upgrading CCTV across all burrow libraries right now and have applied for funding to fix up the toilets.

1:02Meanwhile, library bosses emphasize that people across Camden still view these spots as safe gathering places for everyone with no plans on the table to close any branches.