Security Top Priority At Bel Air Mall

Mall Bel Air Mall Mall manager says highly trained security staff makes safety top priority.

by Emily Forrester

Published: Thu, December 06, 2007 - 11:00 pm CST Last Updated: Thu, December 06, 2007 - 11:21 pm CST

The management at Bel Air Mall says safety is a top priority at any mall, including the one in Mobile.
Mall manager Tim Nolan released a statement Thursday about safety measures:

"It is always a tragedy when an incident like this occurs in any community. Our thoughts are with the victims' family and friends and the entire Omaha community. It's very important that you understand that this is a random and isolated incident. We understand that the troubled young man that did this was trying to create a sensation and he chose a venue that would give him exposure.

The company that owns this mall is one of the top owner and operators of malls throughout the country and I know they take security very seriously, as do we. I can assure you that safety and security are a top priority at any mall - including Bel Air Mall. As part of our commitment to promote a safe shopping environment, we maintain a highly trained security staff that is prepared to respond to a variety of emergency situations. In addition to our highly-trained security staff, our security program includes both on-duty and off-duty police officers which patrol both the interior and exterior of the mall.

We consistently evaluate our security program and scheduling and adjust it appropriately during the different retail and traffic seasons of the year. We currently have increased security due to the holidays. This increased security patrol was not done in reaction to yesterday's events but due to the high traffic seasons. We are currently evaluating our security measures and will implement changes as necessary. We take numerous proactive security measures that include maintaining daily security patrols of our center and surrounding lots, and coordinate very closely with local officials as a routine practice.

More than 14 million people travel through malls every day and most people shop at their local mall 4 times a month. You have a higher likelihood of getting in a car accident then getting hurt at a mall. It is inappropriate to assume that because a shooting happen in one place that it will happen at another."

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