Retail tenants, their employees, shoppers, and food court patrons all need to feel safe and welcome in a retail mall as well as secure in the parking lot or they may not return. Mall security professionals ensure the safety of everyone at the mall. They patrol the premises, check surveillance equipment, and remove those who pose a threat. Mall security professionals assist during emergencies and contact law enforcement when required.
The deadly four-day attack in 2013 by terrorists at a mall in Nairobi, Kenya struck a nerve among global mall patrons. Post 9/11, developments driven by the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Bureau of Investigation, police and physical security leaders dramatically improved communication, training and readiness throughout the mall and shopping center industry. The pandemic created new challenges as retail malls were closed for months and faced a changing criminal profile that evolved from common pickpockets to organized rings of smash and grab criminals.
With the advent of the pandemic and societal unrest, today’s retailers are faced with evolving threats like never before. Unfortunately, the pandemic has created the perfect storm for increased retail crime. In the midst of the pandemic, many retailers report that organized retail crime networks are becoming more aggressive than ever.
The National Retail Federation’s (NRF) 2021 National Retail Security Survey finds many retailers are facing increased risk to their organizations due to the pandemic as “organized retail crime and numerous other security concerns evolved in 2020.” As additional threats emerge, NRF reports that “retailers are investing in more resources to safeguard their customers, employees and operations. Half (53%) of retailers said their companies are allocating additional technology resources and another 50% said they are allocating additional capital specific to loss prevention equipment. In a shift from the last few years, there was a significant increase in those reporting they would dedicate additional staffing resources.”
Technology and social media have made it easier for malicious groups targeting retail organizations to communicate with each other, as well as find an active market for the resale of stolen goods. The role of asset protection (AP) and loss prevention (LP) professionals is more important than ever to ensure retail organizations thrive in the wake of the pandemic as it has drastically affected the retail industry and the 42 million Americans it employs. It is key for the asset protection and loss prevention professionals to identify the most vulnerable area to ORC activity within their organization to strategically deploy resources to combat this activity which avoids unnecessary spend for the retailers.
So, what are retailers doing to safeguard their stores from organized retail crime (ORC) rings? Many companies have amended point-of-sale policies and return policies in addition to allocating additional technology resources and increasing their AP/LP budgets to address risk overall.
Evolving Retail Technology
As technology has made rapid advances in recent years, the role of retail mall security professionals has become more sophisticated as new technologies have been introduced.
As standard practice, security supervisors implement a plan that includes a network of people, processes and technology to deter and mitigate threats. Law enforcement is a partner with physical security and may ask to access video footage. Today’s access control includes biometrics with video analytics with facial recognition. Video analytics is also able to measure and gauge behavior, social distancing, detect suspicious packages, and instantly alert security and law enforcement so that preemptive action can be deployed. Social media platforms are monitored using specific keyword analytics to assess if there are any potential issues that are happening.
Retail security professionals, coupled with local, state and federal law enforcement, are able to work together to leverage multiple technologies and share information to mitigate potential threats. Ultimately, it is important to determine the policies and procedures that are in place that allow security personnel, law enforcement and other entities to effectively work together as a blended team.
Department of Homeland Safety Act Designation.
Support Anti-terrorism by Fostering Effective Technologies otherwise known as the SAFETY Act changed the private security landscape. As part of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 enacted by Congress, the SAFETY Act provides liability protections, including products, services, software and other forms of intellectual property that are designed or modified to identify, detect, deter, respond to, or otherwise mitigate the impact or harm arising from an Act of Terrorism. Protections apply to claims arising out of, relating to, or resulting from an Act of Terrorism. Allied Universal is recognized as a qualified anti-terrorism service provider and DHS Designated SAFETY Act partner.
Technology Integration with Uniformed Security Services
Security programs at malls are being customized to work together to manage potential threats at the ground level and to coordinate workforce deployment based on actionable intelligence and relevant risk at each property. Retail security professionals today must be better qualified, tech savvy and custom-trained for the specific environment that they will be working in.
By using highly trained security personnel, armed with the latest technology solutions, retail businesses can enhance their physical security program by providing pinpoint accuracy to an issue, allowing for faster response time and offering a safer environment.
While over time, the use of technology may potentially reduce the number of security professionals needed, the officers that remain will need to have greater technology skills and will command higher wages. Through an integrated approach to retail enterprise security, the safest, most secure environments that provide shopper peace of mind includes:
- The protection of facilities’ access points with connected visitor management technologies, access control systems and video monitoring solutions.
- Response to incidents in real-time with a workforce management platform that tracks and optimizes your security team’s movements to proactively mitigate incidents and facilitate rapid response.
- Elevation of retail brand with advanced security intelligence and technology solutions that augment physical security services.
- Achieving better insight into risk with improved command center operations with Global Security Operating Services and threat intelligence platforms.
- Ensuring business continuity, preparing for and responding to threats toward people and infrastructure, including workplace violence and active shooter preparedness training and protocols with professional emergency response planning.
Access to technology and state-of-the-art training is critical to ensuring that the security professionals who serve mall properties are ready and able to deal with crisis situations.
Mall Security Training
Today’s mall security personnel are highly trained security professionals. Regardless of prior experience, all security professionals participate in rigorous industry-specific training. Retail security professionals are trained on how to manage physical altercations and confrontations and de-escalation methods. Retail security professionals should also complete comprehensive terrorism awareness and other relevant training. Retail security training is not a ‘one and done’ type initiative. At a minimum, security providers should conduct emergency training at every property, completing each year, at least one table-top exercise and one live emergency drill. At least one of these drills should focus on active shooter. In addition to the active shooter training, training should cover hurricane response, evacuation procedures, emergency lockdown, earthquake and wildfire.
Training needs to be proactive and reactive. For example, the coronavirus epidemic should ensure that security professionals receive special training on best practices for personal hygiene as well as sanitization of equipment.
Off-Duty Police at Retailers
In order to assist in combatting the issues of societal unrest, many companies are enlisting the services of security companies that can provide off-duty police officers (ODOs) to safeguard their stores, employees and customers. In fact, security companies are receiving unprecedented requests for ODOs.
Retailers are sharing positive feedback on the deployment of officers at their facilities. There’s no doubt that the professionalism of law enforcement, with their ability to deescalate situations and troubleshoot crimes, makes them an invaluable part of the retail family.
Public/Private Partnerships Crucial
Strong relationships with local law enforcement are a foundational tenet of a strong physical security strategy. Mall properties are made safer when security is enhanced with on-duty law enforcement who patrol the property based on specific requests by mall management and security, actionable intelligence regarding specific trends at the property established through careful analysis of incident statistics taking into specifics such as the type of incidents, where on the property the incident occurred when they are occurring and any discernable trends in incident specifics (i.e., type of vehicle being broken into, items that are stolen, etc.).
Security Professionals on the Move
Visit a mall or shopping center today and you may see security personnel conducting patrols of common areas and parking lots on Segways, bicycles, cars and by foot. There may be a roaming robot that patrols and detect suspicious behavior. You will see highly skilled and trained security professionals piloting the latest technology, with a host of IP-connected digital applications that include handheld multi-faceted communication devices, state-of-the-art closed-circuit television, life and fire safety systems, and remote online access control systems. Today’s security professional is searching for and locating potential threats using technologically advanced artificial intelligence-based surveillance systems that feature high-tech full-motion and facial recognition. That technology allows security professionals to identify potential threats quickly and discretely, and alert security teams and law enforcement of the situation without causing panic and general disruption.
Tapping into the analytics that retail security professionals can glean from their AI-driven mobile devices, potential hazards are able to identify which could cost properties thousands of dollars in liabilities. AI data also delivers comprehensive information on where the greatest incidences of security incidents are occurring so that the appropriate planning of security professional allocation can be made.
There is immense value for property owners who invest in securing their premises. Customers, employees and visitors are comforted by seeing security personnel, along with integrated video monitoring, and other security enhancements. Keeping shoppers safe and secure during volatile economic and political times requires a partnership between security providers, property owners and managers, and local law enforcement.
Our nation’s collaborative campaign between government, industry and public safety training has significantly improved over the last decade. Mall security personnel are significantly better prepared to recognize and address the myriad of challenges they face on the job.
On the surface, the average shopper might see mall security simply as security personnel on patrol. But what’s beyond the surface is what makes those officers effective – and the mall a safer place. A comprehensive approach to shopping mall security that includes training, technology, an emphasis on safety, communication, collaboration and personnel selected for the property’s specific requirements is what’s needed to help ensure a safe and secure environment.
