Lynchburg Public Library pumps music into parking lot for security

The Lynchburg Public Library’s latest security system comes with speakers and a six-disc CD player.

In an effort to combat loitering, the main library has begun piping music into its parking lot. The tunes played don’t exactly come from the hit parade — albums used so far include “A Baroque Duet,” “A Fabulous Swing Collection” and “Mozart for Monday Mornings.”

“We’re trying to create an overall more pleasant environment for all users. And to keep people moving,” explained Lynn Dodge, director of the city’s library system.

She added, “People are actually enjoying it. That’s the fun thing … I’ve seen some feet tapping.”

The library’s new sound system, installed as part of a recent security upgrade, puts Lynchburg among a growing number of communities worldwide using music to discourage loitering and prevent crime.

The city of Christchurch, New Zealand, made international headlines this spring when it announced plans to start playing Barry Manilow in a commercial district to drive away misbehaving teens.

Local librarians haven’t gone as far as Manilow yet. Drawing on a small catalog of donated CDs, along with a few albums from staffers’ personal music collections, they’ve developed a mix of opera, classical music, jazz and swing.

They continue to tweak the selection through trial-and-error.

“Piano music and cellos don’t work that well because they’re too soft,” reflected Dodge. “A nice trumpet, that carries well.”

Situated in a high-traffic area that includes E.C. Glass High School, Miller Park and the hub of the public bus system, the library has dealt with loitering for years.

The problem escalated in the past year, officials said, prompting police to start making extra patrols in the area and pay off-duty officers overtime to serve as security guards.

In January, there was a shooting outside the library that left one man wounded. Police arrested Jo-el Johnson Trent, 20, of Lynchburg, in that incident. Trent pleaded guilty to the shooting and was sentenced to eight years in prison last month.

The summer has brought quieter times to the library. It has also seen officials phase out the heightened police presence — which they said was always meant to be temporary — in favor of a new security system that includes video cameras and the aforementioned easy listening.

In May, the library installed eight security cameras monitoring the interior and exterior of its building on Memorial Avenue. The sound system, comprised of six speakers hooked up to a CD player, was put into operation last week.

The entire installation cost $21,300, according to the city. By contrast, the use of off-duty officers for security was costing the police department about $1,000 a month.

Capt. Ken Edwards of the Lynchburg Police Department said the library has been “relatively quiet” in recent weeks and hoped that would continue into the fall, when the start of school will bring increased traffic to the area.

“The library is taking some new measures, and they seem to be working well,” Edwards said, adding he considers the library to be safe.

The police department still makes that general area — including the park and The Plaza shopping center — a patrol priority. It was the department’s crime prevention unit that first suggested deploying the music tactic at the library.

On Tuesday afternoon, a ragtime tune was in full swing in the library parking lot, prompting a giggly soft-shoe from the occasional passerby. The soundtrack garnered mixed reviews from a small group near the bus station who said they regularly meet here to talk and socialize.

“It sucks,” said Dez Copeland, 22. “They don’t got to play hardcore rap … but they could play something we could dance to. Something everybody likes.”

“I’m not bothered by it,” said a man who gave his name only as “Juice.” “I like all kinds of music myself. It’s better than nothing.”

The 31-year-old added, though, that this was not the answer to the area’s underlying problems, particularly among teens.

“You can’t just run them off. Kids got to go somewhere after school,” he said. “A lot of them, if they go home, they witness drugs, violence, guns. If not a church, what better sanctuary but a library?”

The city needs more positive activities for its youth, he concluded. The library does offer programs for children and teenagers.

Dodge said the new cameras have already produced results, helping officials catch a woman attempting to shoplift magazines.

It’s still too early to judge the effectiveness of the musical approach, but she said the reaction from library patrons has been uniformly positive so far.

“We have a lot of people come in smiling. A lot of positive comments,” she said, noting some people are fans of the type of music being used.