Violent brawls at Dayton libraries caught on video

The Main Library will host a community conversation on Tuesday night to discuss what can be done to improve safety at the system’s branches.

“We also hope and trust that youth-serving organizations, parents, guardians and loved ones of these students will join us in our efforts to keep everyone safe by helping make our libraries the safe haven they must be,” said Debi Chess, director of external relations and development with the Dayton Metro Library.

Calls for service

Dayton Police Department data obtained by this newspaper show that Dayton police officers responded to 215 East Third St., the address of the Main Library, about 485 times through the first three quarters of this year.

Police calls for service to that address are up nearly 80% compared to all of 2023. Calls for service are up 172% from 2022 (full year).

There have been 265 citizen-generated police calls to 215 E. Third St., which is about 20% more calls than in all of 2023. Officer-initiated calls to the Third Street address have more than quadrupled this year (221 through the end of September).

Dayton police data also show that officers have made 39 arrests at or around 215 E. Third St. so far this year (through the end of Q3). That compares to 23 arrests in all of 2023.

Common types of calls for service this year have been for trespassing (41 calls), wellness checks (32), disorderly subjects (32), assaults (12), mental health concerns (12), juveniles (10) and fights (10).

Library, police response

Chess said a lot of variables can play a role when it comes to call volumes for emergency services.

She said the addresses of library facilities may be used for dispatch purposes and the actual incident locations are merely nearby. Libraries are well-known landmarks that can be helpful reference points when giving directions.

Chess said some police calls are for medical emergencies, and there’s been quite a few of medical calls recently.

Chess also said the library has a “zero tolerance” approach to misbehavior, which is intended to make every branch as safe as possible for patrons and employees.

She said ongoing cooperation with the Dayton Police Department means that library staff may feel increasingly comfortable contacting police for help.

Chess said the library would have to dig much deeper into the call data to try to make sense of the numbers and explain the increase. She said that’s not a priority.

“Our priority is making every one of our branches a safe haven so that we can serve our communities by providing our resources in spaces that our patrons are comfortable visiting,” she said.

The Main Library has been averaging nearly 1,500 visitors each day. The downtown library welcomed more than 312,000 visitors last month.

The Dayton Daily News reached out to the Dayton Police Department for comment on the large increase in calls for service.

In a statement, Dayton police Major Jason Hall said, “The Dayton Police Department has been working in collaboration with its partners to address problems as they arise. In response to fights including juveniles at or near 21 Watervliet (the Southeast Branch) and (215) E. Third the Dayton Police Department has had officers stationed visibly nearby to try to act as a deterrent and proactive patrols have been utilized as well.”

Young people fights

At around 4:15 p.m. Sept. 12, arguments and tussles erupted in front of the Main Library that ultimately resulted in police arresting a couple of teenagers.

Security camera video footage obtained by this newspaper appears to show a sizable group of young people yelling and getting involved in altercations and heated exchanges, including with police officers and security personnel, right outside the front entrance to the library.

At one point in the video, a male security officer falls to one knee, holding the side of his face like he was struck or sprayed with something.

Police can be seen grabbing, shoving and pushing back some young people, and officers and security employees eventually cleared the scene. Police officials later said officers arrested two 14-year-olds after a series of fights outside the library and the downtown RTA bus hub. Officers can seen in security videos putting a couple of young people in handcuffs.

At about 3:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27, a big, violent brawl took place inside the Southeast Branch library at 21 Watervliet Ave, according to time-stamped video footage. The library is next door to Belmont High School.

Security video footage from inside the branch shows multiple young people punching, wrestling and attacking each other.

Dozens of other young people gathered around to watch and record the fights on their cell phones. Some kids stood on tables and furniture to get better views.

The melee took place in the “Teen Edge” section of the library. Security officers and library staff tried to break things up but they struggled to get the situation under control. One employee was knocked down and others were pushed around and ended up in the the middle of the attacks.

Security and library staff were far outnumbered, and it took a couple of minutes to disperse the crowd.

After the fight, the Southeast Branch started closing its doors for safety reasons from 2:30 to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday. The nearby Belmont High School dismisses at 3 p.m. on school days.

Dayton Public Schools officials confirmed that Belmont High School students were involved in the brawl and could face punishment.

Library officials have declined to discuss the details of the incident, saying it’s an active police investigation.

Dayton Public Schools Superintendent David Lawrence earlier this month told this newspaper the school district plans to increase its security presence at the library. He said the district will meet with the parents of kids who have been having issues at the library.

Through the end of September, the Southeast Branch has had 60 police calls for service, which is the same number it had in all of 2023.

Nearly a quarter of the calls were for fights (14), while about 17 were for assaults, disorderly subjects and juvenile issues.

The Dayton Metro Library hosts a community conversation about library safety in the wake of these incidents at 6 p.m. Tuesday night at the Main Library. City and school officials have said they hope to help find ways to resolve safety issues at library facilities.

“The district takes all safety concerns very seriously and continues to work toward solutions,” said Superintendent Lawrence. “We have held productive regularly scheduled meetings with downtown business owners and city of Dayton leaders to develop sub-committees to understand and coordinate a plan of action. We look forward to updating the community on our progress at the event next Tuesday.”

Possible changes

Steve Seboldt, a longtime downtown realtor who lives about a block from the Main Library, said large numbers of kids hang out and goof around inside and outside of the Main Library after school.

The overwhelming majority of kids who gather downtown are well-behaved, but there are often large crowds and it only takes a few troublemakers to cause serious problems and disruptions, he said.

Seboldt said he thinks the main issue is that Dayton Public School students receive Greater Dayton RTA bus passes to get to and from school.

He said this means students are free to come and go as they please, instead of having to head straight home after school like they many probably would if they had to ride on traditional yellow school buses.

Some people who live near the Southeast Branch have said that large numbers of Belmont students often hang out at the library after school instead of going straight home.

Seboldt also said people who are homeless and who have mental health issues often visit the library and some of those individuals can be disruptive.

But Seboldt said things have been much quieter at the Main Library since the large commotion a month ago. The Dayton Daily News has seen several Dayton police cruisers parked outside the Main Library during after school hours in recent weeks.

DPS Superintendent Lawrence recently said that one way the school district hopes to address problems at the Southeast Branch library is by getting more students on RTA buses right after school.