Butte County's library security contract allows for unarmed standing guards. But there was not one assigned to the Chico branch on Monday when a gunman killed two people, said Library Director Misty Wright.
“We have never seen a need to have a standing guard at the Chico library,” she said at a press conference Tuesday.
Instead the library relied on mobile patrols from a private security company.
“They come by the library periodically, check through the parking lot and come to the building, just to make sure everything's okay,” Wright said.
Wright said those patrols were on duty on Monday, but none were at the library when the shooting started.
All Butte County library branches except Chico reopened Thursday with increased security.
For now, each has a standing security guard. Officials say they'll evaluate whether to keep the added security in place.
Tuesday the Butte County Board of Supervisors approved a new three-year library security contract with Armed Guard Private Security, Inc. that raises the spending cap and extends coverage to more library locations.
Services remain the same.
