Special Reports

LOS ANGELES (CBS) ― Libraries are thought of as a safe haven where kids can escape into a world of books. After school they're packed with children biding the time until their parents get out of work. But take a look at who may be sitting next to them…

Our undercover camera caught this man using the library computer to view pornography - right out in the open! And that's just the first chapter in a long list of crimes we found - along with a warning from this library security officer who wants to remain anonymous.

"I absolutely wouldn't send my kids to any branch in the city of L.A. because they are unsafe," he said.

Hundreds of pages of reports obtained exclusively by CBS 2 News show what's going on in the L.A. city libraries.

We found a threat to kill a 13-year-old student. People carrying concealed weapons, which were confiscated at the library. Stabbings. Syringes. And librarians being attacked.

"It was the most horrible experience I've ever had in the workplace," said one librarian who also wanted to remain anonymous. She says she was assaulted by a teenager and there was no one to stop it.

"There was no, no security. No assistance when I needed it. And it was very ugly."

"I think it's gonna take somebody getting killed before management really pays attention. That's how bad it has gotten."

Wendy McPherson has worked as a librarian in the Los Angeles city system for eight years and she has seen it all.

"There are some branches that have gotten so unsafe that there should be security there on all hours that it's open," McPherson said.

We also discovered libraries are havens for sex. We watched one man use the library computer to watch porn.

Incident reports also detail consensual sex in the bathrooms - groping between the book aisles and lone sex at the computers. Our security officer says the library wants to keep this information under wraps.

"The management wants to cover this up because they don't want people to think the libraries are unsafe but all you have to do is talk to any library staff member and they'll tell you how safe it is," the anonymous officer says.

Overall, we found incidents are going up. 683 incidents reported in 2005 and 646 already reported in just the first seven months of this year.
The numbers break the myth - according to this librarian - that libraries are a safe place for kids.

"Parents need to understand that they need to accompany their children when they come to visit the library," the librarian says.

Ironically the plan was for safer libraries this year. That's because in February library security was consolidated under the city's general services police department. Hundreds of officers were added citywide. But some librarians say security has actually gotten worse.

Unarmed library security officers - are now backed up by armed officers from the office of public safety. But besides answering library calls, these armed officers answer calls from 1,500 facilities citywide. Critics say the two departments are spread so thin - there's actually less security.

"How safe do you think the libraries are?"

Police Chief Gary Newton defends the consolidation.

"I would say to a parent the libraries are safe. Statistics show there are only about 25 incident reports generated per million visitors."

He claims incidents are actually down - although he doesn't have numbers to back it up. But he candidly admits resources are stretched thin.

"In a perfect world, there would be more public safety staff to service our libraries but the reality is there's limited budget money within the city and we do the best we can with what we have," Newton says.

The chief is looking for more money. But until then, L.A.'s youth looking to learn in the libraries may be getting an unwanted education on crime.

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