BEDFORD-STUYVESANT — The Franklin Avenue library bathroom is turning into a drug den, locals say.
Patrons of the Brooklyn Public Library’s Bedford branch said they’ve noticed an increase in people nodding off in the building’s rear section and suspect they have been using the bathrooms for drug use.
Concerns prompted community leaders to work with library officials and police to remedy the situation, one which many say compromises the safety of children who use the location at 496 Franklin Ave. near Hancock Street.
“This is not an overnight thing that has happened,” said Kimberly Hill, president of the Community of Neighbors Block Association.
“These people have been congregating in front of that library for at least four years. They’re on the corner of Fulton and Franklin, hanging out in Dunkin Donuts, inside the library.”
The block association planned to have its meetings at the branch but decided against it because “no one wants to go there,” she added.
Locals attribute the loitering to patients from area methadone clinics and neighborhood medical centers.
Hill, who has lived two blocks from the library since 2001, said she used to drop by the branch twice a week and has since limited her visits with her two-year-old daughter.
“The last time I was there about three weeks ago, pushing my stroller, I see this guy by the bathroom who looks like he’s walking on the moon,” she said.
“He was looking like he was really high, like he was on something strong.”
Two new children’s programs are slated for Bedford Library, according to BPL representatives.
Residents said they want to see changes made before something drastic happens to kids utilizing the space, particularly with an elementary school located across the street.
Reginald Swiney, who lives near the library, said he once found a needle in the bathroom’s garbage can and, on another occasion, smelled marijuana.
“We have a situation in this library that is unacceptable,” he said.
Addressing the issue at a recent community council meeting, 79th Precinct Commanding Officer John Chell said police have been in conversation with community leaders and library heads to come to a solution.
Since it’s a public space, there’s no rule that can allow the removal of those coming in to sit in the back tables, he added.
Officials and residents recommended relocating the adult section in the rear to the front of the building, where a security officer is present.
A peace officer with arrest powers is also set to be on premises, Chell said. An individual was taken into custody last week for drug use, he added.
“Brooklyn Public Library’s highest priority is the safety of our patrons,” a BPL spokesperson said in a statement. “At Bedford Library, we are taking a number of steps to improve safety in response to community concerns.”
The library will add a public safety officer at the branch in the mornings and on Saturdays, according to the spokesperson, and new locks will be installed on the bathroom doors so keys are required for access.
BPL is also working with the NYPD and looks to develop partnerships with local treatment centers “that can be of assistance when library staff suspect that a patron may be under the influence,” the rep said.
“Providers are supposed to give these folks the services they need,” Swiney added. “These guys should be in programs that keep them occupied.”
A “culture change” is needed on the corridor of Fulton and Franklin, according to Hill. For several years, the strip has been a hangout for individuals connected to drug activity, she said.
Area organizers with group Local Community Union One are planning a “Library Take Back Day” rally on Sept. 30 in front of the Bedford branch starting at 11 a.m. to raise awareness.
Finding a solution requires involvement from all stakeholders, with elected officials, police and locals working together, resident Idris Abdullah announced at the precinct meeting Wednesday.
“It’s a public area and they do have the right to go into this library. We as a community also do have the right to approach them in a respectful manner. Some of them are falling on hard times," he said.
“If we begin to start showing that we’re utilizing the library, we’ll show that the community will not allow the library to be under siege like this."
The Community of Neighbors Block Association will hold its monthly meeting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 29 at Perfect Steps Podiatry, 455 Franklin Ave. The group meets on the last Tuesday of each month.
