Mall Insecurity

[Mr. Security]

I went to the mall in my area yesterday; it had been a few years since my last visit. Since I work security, I make it a point to observe security operations to see how other places do it. Boy was I disappointed. The last time I visited, security had a great presence with 4 uniformed officers and a supervisor patrolling the common areas, 1 in the parking lot, 2 officers at Security HQ, and a police substation staffed w/ 2 police officers.

Yesterday, I walked the entire mall twice w/o ever seeing a security officer. Finally, I went to the security office and found 1 female officer at the desk and another male officer in the back. I asked the s/o at the desk where the police substation was. She looked confused and explained that she had only been there 1-1/2 years. Turns out, there is NO more police substation and police are only present on the weekends now.

I managed to find 1 more guard out on patrol and another driving out in the parking lot. That makes a total of 4 officers for a huge mall. If people are REALLY serious about security, what happened!! BTW, the mall found money for renovation. Security is a joke at that place.

[joecolerulz]

ive guarded places where im the only guard with 150 people and i had no weapons. Im not suprised at all though it shouldnt be that way.......

[Mr. Security]

ive guarded places where im the only guard with 150 people and i had no weapons. Im not suprised at all though it shouldnt be that way.......

And these sites are in an indoor mall? There's a big difference in securing a building open to just visitors, employees and contractors vs. a site that is open to the GP w/ 1,000-1,500 people on site.

[Mall Director]

Well, the only thing I can say in defense to any of this, is that malls are a corporation, and corporations like to see $$ coming in, not going out, even for cost of security. Even with renovations, and especially with renovations, they begin to look at what other areas they can cut back on to help balance the cost. Security and PD are the first to get hit, and believe me, I dont agree with it.

We are facing renovations, and yet even though my mall manager is pro security and backs us, the powers above felt it necessary to cut funding to PD for presence. Fortunately with the repor I developed I will still get the time staffing of PD, but it isnt right. Under expansions, typically I should recieve more man hours for largers spaces, but I can say I dont think that will happen.

Its all about the business and making the $$! LOL!

But good observation on your part!

[Valor Eastbay]

their could be few factors such as: time of day, which day of the week, were they on break, were they patrolling on level 2 when you were on 1, etc.

[FireEMSPolice]

Mr. Security, where was this at?

[Mr. Security]

Mr. Security, where was this at?

I'll pm you.

[Mr. Security]

Well, the only thing I can say in defense to any of this, is that malls are a corporation, and corporations like to see $$ coming in, not going out, even for cost of security. Even with renovations, and especially with renovations, they begin to look at what other areas they can cut back on to help balance the cost. Security and PD are the first to get hit, and believe me, I dont agree with it.

We are facing renovations, and yet even though my mall manager is pro security and backs us, the powers above felt it necessary to cut funding to PD for presence. Fortunately with the repor I developed I will still get the time staffing of PD, but it isnt right. Under expansions, typically I should recieve more man hours for largers spaces, but I can say I dont think that will happen.

Its all about the business and making the $$! LOL!

....

Absolutely. But on the other hand, I don't want to hear a bunch of baloney that public safety is a priority. You know what I'm talking about. "Here at ------, we believe safety and security are top priorities, blah, blah, blah.........."

[Qarlo X64]

I went to the mall in my area yesterday; it had been a few years since my last visit. Since I work security, I make it a point to observe security operations to see how other places do it. Boy was I disappointed. The last time I visited, security had a great presence with 4 uniformed officers and a supervisor patrolling the common areas, 1 in the parking lot, 2 officers at Security HQ, and a police substation staffed w/ 2 police officers.

Yesterday, I walked the entire mall twice w/o ever seeing a security officer. Finally, I went to the security office and found 1 female officer at the desk and another male officer in the back. I asked the s/o at the desk where the police substation was. She looked confused and explained that she had only been there 1-1/2 years. Turns out, there is NO more police substation and police are only present on the weekends now.

I managed to find 1 more guard out on patrol and another driving out in the parking lot. That makes a total of 4 officers for a huge mall. If people are REALLY serious about security, what happened!! BTW, the mall found money for renovation. Security is a joke at that place.

Sorry to hear that man. I've recently gone from Commissioned Construction sites and Government Housing Complexes to doing non com Mall Security in the last month, and the crew I work with are all top notch. There's always (1) on the INT. roaming, (1) in mobile patrol, (1) EXT. foot patrol, (1) in a golf cart and a supervisor, usually an LT. or SGT at Security H.Q. when they're not conducting impromtu patrol beats in any given sector. Three shifts of 8 hours and 5 of us per shift. It would be uncommon not to see me or the other guys walking the beat, and we usually [from what I've seen so far] get about two theft attempts a day, and have to keep a hawk's keen eye on the parking lot were a convention centre is from possible dirt bags trying to boost a car.

It saddens me to know some places don't bother hiring people to take the job seriously or even want to pay neccessary wages to see that Security is one of the higher priorities. I mean, horrible security = loss of money in the long run when ppl don't want to shop there because they're concerned about their vehicle and more.

[joecolerulz]

And these sites are in an indoor mall? There's a big difference in securing a building open to just visitors, employees and contractors vs. a site that is open to the GP w/ 1,000-1,500 people on site.

it was a pub with a nightclub section in the back. In the end it got rowdy i nearly went blind and had to go to hospital the whole place went wild...... people kicking poker machines , breaking pool cues stealing alcohol from behind the bar. Serve em right for having 1 guard.

But back to your initial post these days security are really made just for a deterence but it rarely works...... Another job i was offered was if i saw a perp graffiti i just sit back and write it down and radio it in......

[HotelSecurity]

I know of another horror story, This one in Montreal about 10 years ago. There was a 2 level indoor mall in the city. They had 2 Officers patrolling (1 per level) & a supervisor to back up ? replace for breaks. A new owner bought the mall. He cut the security back to 1 person, the supervisor. A few months later he moved the management of the mall from the building to his head office, a few miles away, The lone secuirty officer kept his walkie-talkie, which was not repeatered & could not reach the head office. He was told to continue to carry it as it "looked good".

[joecolerulz]

ahhaha that is ridiculous. What is a S/O Spose to do without a weapon and if hes by himself and something happens? run and call the police.......pffft some companies are a joke , all they care about is cost cutting not about if a member of the public is inj or a guard is

[HospitalOfficer]

We used to have this problem at my mall. People would complain that they didn't see Security. The mall is large and very busy. On weekends 5 officers are present and we work in "zones" You are assigned an area to patrol for about an hour and then you switch zones. This keeps an officer in areas and has actually cut down on some problems as Officers are in the public eye because the zones are not that large.

[Mall Director]

....

Absolutely. But on the other hand, I don't want to hear a bunch of baloney that public safety is a priority. You know what I'm talking about. "Here at ------, we believe safety and security are top priorities, blah, blah, blah.........."

Ha ha ha! Yes sir, you are right! I am supposed to give one of those speeches in the next couple weeks, and it makes me sick! LOL!