DAYTON — A big fight at a Dayton Metro Library branch sparked a conversation about how all locations can be made safer for the community.
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As reported on News Center 7 and 5:00 & 6:00, the library system held its second community listening session on Monday.
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“This is the second one. The first one was structured as a panel discussion with representatives from the police and DPS and Dayton Metro Library and at this one, we really want people to be able to have more conversations, individuals as well as those representing organizations,” Dayton Metro Library Youth Services and Programming Director Allison Knight said.
These meetings come after a large fight between teenagers at the Southeast Branch on Sept. 27.
Two weeks before that, another large fight broke out at the RTA Hub near the library’s downtown branch.
The violence forced the Southeast Branch on Watervliet Avenue to shut down during after-school hours, 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m., for weeks.
Knight told News Center 7 that she noticed the temporary closure helped reduce the violence at the library.
During the meeting on Monday, community members sat in groups and brainstormed things they think teens in Dayton need.
Some people think they need consistent role models and others think they need more safe places to unwind after school.
“Ultimately our end goal is to keep our Dayton Metro Libraries open to all and safe and accessible. So that’s really our primary goal as Dayton Metro Library but of course, ultimately, we want our teens and our youth and our young people in the after-school hours to be safe to be engaged and to find places that make space for them,” Knight said.
The library system will hold its third listening session in December.
News Center 7 will continue to follow this story.
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