Woman in teen-stabbing barred from library

The woman accused of stabbing an Edmonton teenager over a cigarette last week was kicked out of the Stanley Milner Library at least once in the hours before the incident, according to library security.

A 14-year-old girl was stabbed in the neck in front of the Second Cup coffee shop beside the library at about 4 p.m. Thursday. She was taken to hospital with non life-threatening injuries.

The woman, 24, was charged with aggravated assault, personal robbery and possession of an offensive weapon.

On Tuesday, the head of library security, Kevin Kramers, said the woman appeared drunk and was escorted out of the library that day. However, there was some confusion over how many times she was removed and whether City of Edmonton peace officers, who enforce civic bylaws, were called.

Initially, Kramers said peace officers were called to assist, but the city had no record of the call.

Shortly afterwards, Kramers told CBC News he had new information.

"This individual was extremely co-operative, so peace officers were not called," he said.

The woman was ejected once from the library and then prevented from entering several times, he said. She was arrested in connection with the attack on the teenager about 2½ hours after she last tried to enter the library.

The attack was one of several stabbings in the downtown area near the library and Churchill Square since the beginning of April. 

The library's main entrance on 102nd Avenue has become a magnet for youths in the area and the site of at least two recent attacks, which occurred in broad daylight.

Sgt. Doug Yaceyko, an Edmonton peace officer, said some petty criminals use the library as a refuge.

Peace officers can issue tickets for offences such as public intoxication, and can ban people from outside areas such as Sir Winston Churchill Square and then charge them with trespassing if they do return, but they can't ban people from the city's library.

Yaceyko said that needs to be changed in order for peace officers to properly do their job.

"Say, if we've got someone who has been a repeat trespasser in the area we can basically tell them, 'No you can't be outside,' but we still have to allow them passage to get inside the building," Yaceyko said.

"And that's where we run into some frustrations because sometimes we'll get people who do try and taunt us like 'I'm inside the library, I'm outside the library now' and then they'll go back in … it's a little bit of a game playing going on."

The rules to the game aren't likely to change soon.

Library officials are adamant about keeping the downtown branch accessible to as many people as possible, as long as patrons obey the rules inside the building, Kramers said.

Peace officers are now seeking a legal opinion on where exactly their authority ends, Yaceyko said.

Library's entrance should move: Mandel

Last week, Edmonton Mayor Stephen Mandel proposed moving the library entrance to the opposite side of the building, where it would open onto a plaza.

The idea has been rejected by police as well as Edmonton Public Library CEO Linda Cook.

Instead, Cook called on the city to remove a nearby bus stop and bus shelter, as well as widen the sidewalk in front of the main entrance to relieve some of the congestion around the building.