Shopping Center Security – How to Control Teen Crowds and Fights?

• Interview with Shopping Centers Today magazine.
• Contributing Editor Steve McLinden.

Podcast Time Stamps:

[00:45] — Shopping Center Security – Topic introduction crowd control.
[01:30] — Thousands of youths descend on malls and cause violence.
[02:40] — Interview with Shopping Centers Today Magazine Steve McLinden.
[05:15] — How can shopping center security prevent crowd violence?
[06:00] — What factors affect shopping center security and crowd violence?
[09:45] — Is social media a cause of sudden teen crowds and mob violence?
[12:20] — Mall managers must focus on anti-loitering rule enforcement.
[17:00] — Shopping Center Security training on loitering behavior response.
[20:00] — Mall managers must include a security and police response plan.
[21:05] — Shopping Center Security curfew for teens been tried and failed.
[26:15] — Mall managers need more shopping center security plan training.
[28:20] — Shopping Center industry needs emphasis on security planning.

Play video of Kentucky incident.

Shopping Center Security Helpless to Stop Fights.

Shopping Center Security Challenge of Crowd Control

• Definition: Retail REIT – Shopping Center Real Estate Investment Trust.
• Teens hanging out at malls is an old problem with a new twist.
• Social media has driven large groups of teens to gather at malls.
• A single Tweet or Facebook post can direct teens to a mall hot spot.
• Social media is used to plan unorganized social disorder rallies.
• Teens arrive quickly like flash-mobs and overwhelm security and police.

Evaluate then Execute a Comprehensive Security Plan

• Evaluate trends in traffic patterns and prior incidents of violence.
• Compare recent incidents trends in similar malls in the region.
• Evaluate mall procedures and responses by mall security and police.
• Evaluate patterns of teen loitering by day, time, and location.
• Partner with police to develop a plan to enforce loitering and trespassing.
• Being vigilant against known teen groups that loiter and disturb.
• Issue and enforce trespass warnings against know troublemakers.
• Strict loitering standards and enforcement prevent future incidents.
• A comprehensive security plan needs to anticipate and respond to a crowd.
• Monitor social media mentions that advocate social disorder at malls.
• Seek training on how to anticipate and respond to teen disturbances.