Mall Shooting Suggests Second Look At 2006 Survey

Jan 8, 2008 3:41 PM

The shootings last month at Westroads Mall in Omaha, Neb., when a disturbed teen killed eight people and wounded five others before turning the gun on himself, once again raised calls for mall security standards to be reevaluated. Further, the incident -- the third 2007 mass shooting at a U.S. mall -- emphasized a key factor: the need for coordination among mall security, in-store security and first responders.

In Omaha, Police Chief Thomas Warren told reporters that the shooter attracted the attention of mall security guards when he first entered the mall to case potential targets, returned to his car and then came back carrying something wrapped in a hooded sweatshirt. But after entering the mall the second time, he took an elevator to the third floor and went to the Von Maur department store where he started shooting before the guards could intervene.

The guards' behavior jibes with the standard playbook for mall security personnel, who are largely discouraged from intervening with guests, says Mark Springer, CPP, vice president of business development with Capital Asset Protection Inc., a Pittsburgh-based full-service security firm.

This incident may suggest the need for another look at a study titled, "An Assessment of the Preparedness of Large Retail Malls to Prevent and Respond to Terrorist Attack." The study, published by the Department of Justice in early 2006, included a survey of security directors. It surveyed them on everything from industry responsibility, to the link between private security in malls and public sector, to training and spending.

One survey results may shed light on the Westroads Mall security staff's pre-conceived concerns about the shooter. A survey question regarding how mall security handles suspicious behavior or persons showed 33.7 percent of respondents saying their policy was to report the behavior to a supervisor, 30.3 percent saying it was to continue surveillance, 18 percent saying it was to inform police and 11.2 percent saying it was to approach (if they considered the incident non-threatening.)

The study can be found here: www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/216641.pdf

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