On Monday, 23 February 2015, CBS News produced a story about shopping mall security and safety concerns. I had an opportunity to be briefly interviewed for that news segment. The video is below and the story is also available on our local CBS website.
[vimeo=https://vimeo.com/120499177]
In visiting with the news team, I pointed out that our local shopping malls are mostly single-level and spread out over a large area, so they are not densely populated which makes them less likely targets for terrorist attacks. With a trend toward supporting small locally owned businesses, people are doing less shopping at malls, and seeking out small local businesses to support.
In other countries I’ve traveled to, the shopping malls may have three or four levels and are more densely populated making them a higher risk security concern. Heightened security measures are in place, with security guards checking under cars with mirrors and mall visitors are required to go through metal detectors.
In the United States, with some exceptions, many malls simply aren’t the hub of activity and community that they are in other countries.