Shopping Securely

A March 31 incident near Hamilton Place mall has forced people to think about how safe shopping centers are to the general public.

At 10:53 p.m., well after most shopping centers closed, police responded to 1932 Gunbarrel Road on an aggravated assault call. According to police reports, a person was shot in the knee while standing in front of the La-Z-Boy store on Goodwin Road. The victim was taken to the hospital, and three juveniles were taken to the police department for questioning.

That led to The Pulse wondering about what safety was like at shopping centers in Chattanooga. But finding the answer to that question is difficult, thanks to safety recommendations from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

“Homeland Security is the platform from which we live our daily lives,” according to Joe Janosko, senior general manager of Northgate Mall. “Those parameters guide us, and in this situation, the less said about security provides us with better safety. In regard to security, our responsibility and job is to provide a safe, pleasant shopping environment for our customers.”

Hamilton Place, which is owned by Chattanooga-based CBL Associates, was similarly circumspect when we tried to ask about security at the mall.

General Manager Dan Wolfe said the mall’s top concern is that of the safety of its customers. However, he would not disclose details about mall security.

“As far as security programs are concerned, we don’t mention it because it might compromise our security,” Wolfe said. “When it comes to security, we have the most updated security procedures in place.”

Hamilton Place mall employees said security guards patrol routinely, and Chattanooga police officers are on the grounds on Friday and Saturday nights. This reporter observed on Friday, April 13, that there were at least three uniformed Chattanooga police officers and one security guard at the Food Court. At least two more guards were on patrol upstairs. A Chattanooga police car was seen near a mall entrance.

One sales clerk said she is pleased with the helpfulness and speed in which police arrive when needed. “They’re always here really quick,” she said. “Whenever you need them, they’re here.”

While they do feel safe inside the mall, clerks sometimes are concerned for their safety when walking to their cars at night.

Two clerks told The Pulse that employees are required to park father than mall patrons from the store. One clerk said she goes to her vehicle with other store clerks. However, she said, security officers most probably would walk her to her car if necessary.

A second clerk said she has been flashed twice while walking to her car, but has not reported the incident to security or police. “The perverts know when we get off work, and they know when to be there,” she said.

A third clerk described a problem she had on the day after Thanksgiving, in which the closest door to the exit from her store was locked. After a call to security went unanswered, she said she was forced to use an unlocked exit that was on the other side of the mall from that of her vehicle.

Northgate clerks said they also feel secure in their workplace. At least one city police officer and numerous security officers are always on duty inside the mall on Friday and Saturday nights, one store manager said. A stroll though the mall on Saturday, April 14, backed up that assertion, as The Pulse saw no fewer than three security guards and a police officer. Security vehicles could be seen criss-crossing the parking lot, and a police car was parked at Northgate’s movie theater.

“I feel perfectly safe. I’ve had no problems at all,” one clerk said. “Even on Friday and Saturday nights when the kids are here.”

Northgate, which is owned by General Growth Properties, permits teenagers in the mall on Fridays and Saturdays, in contrast to Hamilton Place, which enacted a youth policy five years ago. At Hamilton Place, those under 18 are prohibited from being in the mall on Friday and Saturday nights after 6 unless accompanied by a parent or guardian. Wolfe said Hamilton Place officials are “pleased with what’s happening in connection with the youth policy.”

Of course, any mall or shopping area will be a prime target for shoplifters. But in general, there is very little violent crime at or near shopping centers in our area, according to incident reports from the Chattanooga Police Department.

While the March 31 shooting is the most violent incident on file this year at or near major shopping centers in Chattanooga, the majority of incidents involve thefts. A survey of police reports from March 1 to April 11 show the following incidents in the Hamilton Place area:

• April 9 – Big River Grille – three empty beer kegs stolen from the restaurant, with no arrests.

• April 5 – Dillard’s – alarm call. All was found to be secure, with no arrests made.

• April 4 – 7400 Interstate 75 North (near an exit to Hamilton Place) – a person with car trouble was approached by someone who pulled a gun on the victim and asked the man for his wallet. No arrests were made.

• April 4 – Fox Hound Pub – intoxication, with no arrest made.

• March 31 – Wal-Mart – shoplifting, with one person arrested.

• March 31 – Toys R Us – theft of a stereo from a motor vehicle, with no arrest made.

• March 29 – Sears – theft of a lawn mower, with no arrests made.

• March 24 – Hamilton Place Mall – shoplifting. A citation was issued, and the minor was released into the custody of his/her parents.

• March 24 – TJ Maxx – shoplifting. Two girls were apprehended but were released to their parents before the police arrived.

• March 19 – Fresh Market – theft of a CD holder from a motor vehicle, with no arrests made.

• March 14 – JC Penney – two women were cited for theft under $500.

• March 12 – NY and Co.– verbal disorder. A woman would not leave the store, but she had already left before police arrived.

• March 1 – Belk – shoplifting. One person was charged with theft under $500 and public intoxication.

The police reports showed the following incidents in the Hixson area at that time:

• March 31 – Toys R Us – theft of five Xbox games, with no arrests made.

• March 31 – Sears – someone tried to use counterfeit money at the store, but was apprehended by Northgate security at TJ Maxx. The U.S. Secret Service was called in to investigate.

• March 31 – Target – shoplifting. Three adults were arrested on a charge of theft under $500, and a juvenile was cited after her father arrived.



Police representatives were asked about crime at shopping centers, particularly whether businesses near Hamilton Place have requested more police presence in the area since the March 31 shooting, what police staffing levels are near major shopping centers, and whether police have seen more businesses opting to hire security firms.

However, police had not given us such answers as of press time Monday.

One Northgate manager speculates that the main reason why more incidents happen in the Hamilton Place area is because there are more shopping centers there than in Hixson.

“And Hamilton Place is right next to a major interstate,” she said. “They’re not far from Georgia, and are about a traffic light away from making a quick exit.”

Additional information :

Shopping Securely: from www.chattanoogapulse.com