A California library is shutting down because rampant criminal activity has threatened patrons and employees.
The Contra Costa County Library said Friday that the decision to close the Antioch Community Library branch on Saturday was made after “repeated dangerous incidents,” NBC Bay Area reported.
In a social media post, the county library explained the branch will be closed until further notice:
During the closure, the library will be working to implement further security measures so we can reopen as soon as possible. These will take some time to complete, and we do not have an estimated date for reopening. We will continue to keep you updated on our progress.
Social media users shared their thoughts on the news. One person speculated the reason was “low police staffing, slow response time, and a soft-on-crime city.”
“Hopefully, this gets resolved soon. The public library is a very important place to any community,” another user commented, while someone else said, “OMG. Libraries are supposed to be our safe places. I am so sorry!”
According to KTVU, Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe claimed city officials did not see the decision coming.
“No one in the City of Antioch, including the police chief, was informed of safety concerns by Contra Costa County regarding the library,” he said.
The outlet noted authorities are planning to improve security measures so the library can get back up and running to serve the community.
The Contra Costa County Library said, “We apologize for the short notice and the inconvenience, but the safety of our patrons and staff is a top priority.”
Similarly, a 54-year-old Denny’s restaurant in Democrat-run Oakland recently closed permanently due to crime, according to Breitbart News.
In addition, the outlet reported in November that local bank branches in San Francisco were closing because the city suffers from economic decline, the result of which has been crime, homelessness, and a drug epidemic.
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Lyanne Melendez