How Do Seasonal Events Impact Mall Security Strategies?
Handling security for major holidays is an additional challenge for most retail centers and shopping malls. Christmas, Black Friday, and other popular shopping events can drastically impact the need for heightened security.
With increased crowds, higher cash flow, and extended operational hours, security teams must transition from standard procedures to proactive measures to manage these heightened risks.
Securida, a professional security personnel company in the Twin Cities, understands the challenges shopping malls face during the holidays. Our goal is to make sure your facility is ready and protected against potential risks.
Increased Crowd Management and Public Safety
Peak shopping seasons, like back-to-school and Christmas, bring an influx of shoppers to shopping malls, which means the security team needs to adjust its strategies.
Crowd Control
With more people shopping, security must implement protocols to prevent bottlenecks at entrances, exits, food courts, and popular anchor stores. This may include the use of barriers, ropes, and visible personnel to help guide foot traffic. Security personnel can also help prevent unruly behavior from shoppers and help keep things orderly.
Lost or Vulnerable People
With more people and distractions, there is a higher risk of children or vulnerable persons being lost or harmed. Security can help with recovery and stand out as a safe person for a child to approach when they need help. Your security team should also use established codes to efficiently locate and return missing persons.
Parking Lot Management
Parking lots can be chaotic during major shopping seasons. They will likely need dedicated security personnel or traffic directors to prevent accidents, manage congestion, and watch for “smash and grab” incidents or vehicle break-ins.
Increase in Potential Crime and Prevention
Peak shopping seasons tend to attract opportunistic criminals, which requires a shift toward proactive deterrence.
Retail Theft and Shoplifting
Organized retail crime (ORC) syndicates and individual shoplifters are highly active. Security teams should increase surveillance and deploy plainclothes loss prevention officers to monitor customers. They can also monitor transit points, like restrooms, exits, and changing rooms, where stolen merchandise is often concealed or passed off.
The Minnesota Organized Retail Crime Association (MNORCA) helps by providing a streamlined way to communicate about criminal activity that impacts businesses and helps prevent other partners from being victimized.
Theft of Cash and Property
Extended shopping hours mean that retail stores handle larger sums of cash. Security should be increased around ATMs, cash handling areas, and kiosks.
Visible Deterrence
Uniformed patrols can be increased for general presence. Unarmed guards are perfect for patrolling and watching entrances and exits, while armed guards can help with high-risk deterrence, especially in parking areas during evening hours.
Extended Access Control
Holiday and back-to-school schedules necessitate temporary changes to standard security procedures.
Extended Hours
A security presence should be maintained and amplified during non-traditional hours, such as late-night holiday shopping events. This will require careful scheduling and staffing to prevent burnout.
Vendors and Delivery
Increased deliveries for holiday inventory mean stricter vendor check-in procedures and monitoring of loading docks to ensure only authorized personnel and vehicles have access to secured areas.
After-Hours Security
Once the mall closes, there should be a procedure in place to clear the mall of customers and secure entrances. Door checks, alarm monitoring, and internal patrols are vital to prevent late-night entry or hiding criminals.
Additional Emergency Preparedness
Any time there is an influx of customers, emergency plans should be altered to compensate. Response times must be faster and decisions made quicker to keep shoppers and employees safe.
Evacuation Strategies
Evacuation plans must be reviewed and updated to account for larger crowds and potential obstructions. Security must know multiple redundant routes to guide people outside safely.
Communication Systems
A mall's communication systems (such as radios, central control rooms, etc) must be capable of handling the increased traffic volume without failure during a crisis. There should also be a redundant way to communicate with local law enforcement as needed.
Enhance Your Retail Center’s Security During the Holidays with Help from Securida
Securida draws on decades of combined experience in commercial security, and our trained personnel are certified to keep your shopping mall or retail center safe and secure during the holiday season.
Many of our personnel come from former law enforcement or military backgrounds, adding to their unique skills to protect your stores and customers. With our help, the holiday shopping season will be smoother and safer for everyone.
Request a free estimate online today or give us a call at 612-444-3308 for more information.