| The Loss Prevention Manager should be receptive | | | | prohibited due to the same reason above. Lack of |
| to the needs andobjectives of upper | | | | training creates liability to the Mall and to the |
| management and work to prevent and reduce | | | | officer. |
| loss from crime, fire accidents etc. | | | | The physical plant known as a Mall has many |
| With the continuing threats brought to us by our | | | | egresses and entrances. Sets of keys are used |
| AL Quaeda and Taliban enemies and the outbreak | | | | by housekeeping, maintenance and protection |
| of new TV shows that reinforce the danger we | | | | services to secure the movement throughout the |
| all face on a daily basis, one must look within as | | | | site. In most cases the key systems work as the |
| to how we can protect ourselves from threats | | | | keys are assigned to individuals and are signed for. |
| both real and imagined. I said imagined because | | | | Various situations cause damage to the doors, |
| we can become either hypochondriacs or | | | | some by the stores themselves and by visiting |
| completely oblivious to the dangers around us. | | | | vendors. Unlawful entrance and egress from the |
| The situations we will focus on in this brief | | | | stores occur at all times of the day or night. |
| evaluation are those where large volumes of | | | | Doors that are broken and unable to be secured |
| people congregate on a daily basis. Much has been | | | | with a key are not repaired in a timely manner. |
| written about airports and how the Government | | | | Automatic closing devices are tampered with and |
| has stepped in to facilitate the security of | | | | are inoperable and in many cases doors are |
| baggage and boardings etc. Although Schools and | | | | intentionally left open to allow easy access to |
| theatres could be targeted, one area I would like | | | | various parts of the building by not only the Mall |
| to review is the Mall, which we have first hand | | | | employees but many of the store personnel as |
| knowledge of since we frequent them almost | | | | well. Damaged doors and poor maintenance |
| daily. The mall, some large and some small all | | | | precludes the hazards to all visitors and |
| handlelarge volumes of people daily. Its close | | | | employees as well. The ability to enter the building |
| proximity to the airports has caused me to | | | | and to cause damage, either unintentionally or |
| visualize a frightening scenario from time to time. | | | | inntionally should be of paramount concern to the |
| This also should be addressed in any critique | | | | administration as well as injury to visitors and |
| ofphysical protection | | | | employees from individuals who may be |
| Security for malls throughout the country is based | | | | emotionally, politically or criminally motivated. |
| on protecting the occupants and the property | | | | Daytime situations are normally different than |
| primarily from fire and water damage. | | | | evening and overnight due to the fact that more |
| Personnel are generally given basic information as | | | | personnel are available and more activity |
| to what should happen in the case of fire and | | | | promotes little opportunity for problematic |
| subsequent damage control, but essentially the | | | | situations. On one hand this combination of light |
| function of either Security officers or tenants is | | | | and sound along with the presence of people |
| to pull the fire alarm and wait for the fire trucks | | | | creates the environment forterrorism and or |
| to get there, hopefully as quickly as possible. | | | | criminal acts. During the evening hours there is the |
| Business continuity is a primary situation for the | | | | added problem produced by teenagers and young |
| Mall and yet there is little accomplished to meet | | | | adults whocreate disturbances causing security |
| those requirements. With this in mind a good | | | | extra work which distracts them from actual |
| security officer should be a fireman and or be | | | | security and placing them in the position of acting |
| trained in fire prevention and training. In the world | | | | as police, which they are not trained for. The use |
| of fire training there are those who are listed as | | | | of force has been all but totally removed from |
| fire police. They are primarily there at the scene | | | | their arsenal of protection. No training in civil |
| of a fire to direct traffic and move gawkers | | | | disturbance or any other disturbance is given on |
| away from danger. | | | | any basis. |
| Mall security would seem to fit in this category, as | | | | Radio communications is used in various ways |
| they are not really trained in fire prevention nor | | | | depending on therequirements of the various |
| fire combating. This exclusion in training on a | | | | departments within the Mall. The benefit is that |
| primary and continual basis is a danger faced by | | | | communications are available to identify negative |
| the visitors and businesses that expect protection. | | | | situations that would require fire, police, |
| Fire-personal as well as the police, by nature, are | | | | housekeeping and maintenance. In the event of an |
| trained to meet the demand for medical aid in the | | | | emergency, radio frequencies will be modified to |
| event of minor or major medical emergencies. At | | | | meet the needs of security. Maintenance and |
| the least, basic first aid should be a required | | | | housekeeping as well as Malladministration should |
| continual training program for all Mall personnel, | | | | be subordinate to security. The standardoperating |
| with an emphasis on the Security Guard. The fact | | | | procedure would require that the individual in |
| that defibrillators are available at Malls along with | | | | charge be completely cognizant of the workings |
| first aid kits but with little or no training approved | | | | of the building and at least have the workable |
| by the Mall is a condition that should be addressed. | | | | phone numbers of department heads. In many |
| Most security guards are usually hired because | | | | situations of various venues, the phone numbers |
| they are between jobs, work cheap and don't | | | | of employ ees are not kept up to date and can |
| ask a lot of questions. Training consists of reading | | | | cause unnecessary delay not only in emergencies |
| a manual, taking an open book test that consists | | | | but also on a day to day basis to contact |
| of : | | | | personnel who are due in for shift changes. It |
| 1. Appearance | | | | should be the responsibility of at least one person |
| 2. Where the fire equipment is located | | | | in administration to make sure that the phone |
| 3. Reporting problems | | | | numbers are kept up to date. |
| 4. How to tour the inside and outside of the | | | | Video surveillance, on the most part, functions |
| building and | | | | well. The worst problem is the lack of light |
| 5. Limits of authority. | | | | particularly in the parking lot. Often the failure of |
| It is not the job of the Security Guard to fight | | | | pole lights creates blackout areas during evening |
| fire, provide medical assistance or use force. The | | | | hours. This makes it impossible to check activities |
| primary use of Security personnel is to walk the | | | | from the control center. If there is only one guard |
| Mall during the business day and to report from | | | | on the midnight shift, it requires that the control |
| time to time that they have gone into a tenant's | | | | center may be left unattended to check the lot |
| space and shown their presence. Observing | | | | as well as the entrance and loading doors. video |
| possible loss pevention does not appear in their | | | | cameras with night vision capabilities would provide |
| lexicon. | | | | the necessary protection of the lot. The inability |
| Over the years the defensive tools used by | | | | to patrol and or visually observe the site have |
| security personnel has been reduced to carrying a | | | | created criminal acts from break-ins,vandalism and |
| set of handcuffs, which can only be used under | | | | murder. Using the parking lot or a lover's lane |
| the direction of a local law enforcement Officerin | | | | cannot be tolerated. |
| the completion of his duty. Again, without basic | | | | Without listing banal conclusions to these initial |
| and ongoingtraining, the uniformed Protective | | | | thoughts, lets recognize the need to be aware of |
| Services officer is of no other use than to be | | | | that, which surrounds us. Remember, God is in |
| seen. Physical contact with individuals is totally | | | | the details! |