Mall security a concern in light of Monday’s shooting

January 16, 2018 5:42 pm

By: Rebecca Turco

Email: rturco@abc6.com

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Mall security is a concern in light of Monday night’s shooting at Providence Place.

Officials for Providence Place would not discuss any security changes they may be making in light of the shooting, only saying in a statement that their safety program “is always being evaluated.”

“[T]he safety and well-being of our guests and tenants are our highest priorities,” said spokesperson Lindsay Kahn.

David Simonelli of Coventry saw more officers than usual at the mall Tuesday. "If they’re not nervous, I’m not nervous,” he said. “They know better than me if I should be nervous."

Vik Solem, founder of MEI Security in Stoughton, Massachusetts, tells ABC6 News having a strong security presence is essential for malls and can serve as a deterrent for crime. "Making sure that people understand there are always guards walking around the mall, you never know where they’re going to be, they’re walking through the parking lots as well, things like that I think would be a much bigger deterrent to keeping criminals away from malls, which is the real goal," he explained.
An added security concern is malls have so many entrances and exits. Plus, malls can be an easy meeting place if you’re up to no good. “It’s visible, it’s open and criminals might choose that,” said Solem.

He says situational awareness is also key. Know your emergency exits. If you see something suspicious, say something to authorities.