Police Report on Thefts at Downtown Library

Walnut Creek police are investigating thefts, including bicycle thefts, at the downtown library.

There have been 28 bikes stolen from in two years, WCPD reported on its Facebook page this week. There have also been thefts inside the building, including unattended purses and computer devices such as iPads. Police urge residents to report suspicious behavior to police and library staff.

"Library staff is always concerned about the safety and security of our visitors and we seek to make the library a comfortable and safe place to be," wrote Caroline Gick, senior community library manager, in an email. "We encourage everyone to keep their personal belongings with them at all times. We do stay alert and enforce behavior issues, and we ask that people report any suspicious behavior within the library to us immediately so that we can respond appropriately."

Officers have also arrested several transients and registered sex offenders in and around the library, according to a post on the Walnut Creek Police Association Facebook site: "The availability of free computers and WiFi makes this an attractive location to hang out for many people."

This video from KRON 4 News' Stanley Roberts shows instances on Tuesday where library patrons, apparently feeling safe, left a laptop and a tape recorder unattended on library tables, and a bike unlocked at the bike rack. "All you need to do is turn your back for a moment and — poof — it's gone," says Roberts in a voiceover.

Be on the summit, on top of whuttup in Walnut Creek. Sign up for a daily newsletter from Walnut Creek. Heck, you can sign up for a weekly newsletter, too.