SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) – Holidayshopping season is fast approaching and as more people pack into malls andshopping centers, criminals have more targets.
“The best crime deterrent is the shopper taking action tomake sure she doesn’t become a soft target,” says Sandy Police Sergeant JasonChapman.
Cruising the parking lot of South Towne Mall, Chapman isn’tlooking for criminals. He’s looking for invitations for criminals to strike.
“This mall does an excellent job,” he tells me. “Theyreally do have lighting throughout the entire property, not just in front ofthe entrances.”
Lighting. Everything law enforcement officer we will speakwith for this report will tell us it is the most effective crime preventiontool
“The lighting is the key,” says Chapman.
The lights are bright at South Towne Mall. Lampposts arespaced within 100 feet of each other and they extend to the outer edges of fiveseparate parking lots, casting their white light over almost the entireproperty. Almost.
We drive around to the southwest corner of the facility.
“It looks dark in here,” I observe.
“It is a little bit darker here,” Chapman agrees.
And he notices something else.
“There are trees and the shrubs, that type of thing, wherea person might hide,”
Despite that pocket of potential risk, Chapman gives South Towne high marks for security.
ABC 4’s Crimetracker, using CrimeReports.com for itsup-to-the-hour crime data, shows nine thefts and two vehicle thefts at SouthTowne Mall within the past month. All those crimes happened across the streetfrom the mall property.
ABC 4’s grade for South Towne Mall:
“A -.”
"It’s definitely gotten much better,’ says West ValleyCity Sergeant Anita Schwemmer.
She’s talking about Valley Fair Mall. It is one of theoldest major shopping centers in Utah,and it shows.
When this mall was built in the 1970’s, safety throughenvironmental design was not a priority, if even a consideration. With only twomain entrances, one on the west and one on the east, it’s possible to have a500 yard walk to make it to the front door of this indoor shopping center.Hundreds of people who’ve parked on the west side have to walk through a darkparking lot. Several of the fairly new street lamps are out. Schwemmer saysit’s because of the construction. Whatever the case, an area about the size oftwo football fields is left in relative darkness.
It’s not pitch black out here, mind you. But it’s not lightenough to expose someone hiding between cars. What’s more, the area is outsidethe main west entrance to the mall.
"You wouldn’t recommend mall patrons park here, Igather,” I say to Schwemmer. “No, I wouldn’t,” she responds. “You want to parkin a well lit area and you want to park around other vehicles. That way, thereis enough traffic around your vehicle that someone will notice if a criminal islurking around your vehicle or trying to peer through the window and see what’sinside.”
Another problem, this one for the people who work at thismall, are the giant concrete planter boxes that run the length of the mall’swest front and create a barrier between the parking lot and the employeesentrance doors. They force workers to pass through a dark alleyway, hidden fromview.
"It’s never good to not have good lighting and alsonot be visible from the sidewalk,” says Schwemmer as we walk through this darkhallway.
"And this door is actually not supposed to be open,”she says, as she stops and looks inside, her policing instincts kicking in.
Despite the danger zones outside this shopping center.Schwemmer praises mall managers for the progress they’ve made.over the past fewyears.
"The mall has made a real effort to work with the cityand with the police department to improve things such as lighting and to workon things during their remodeling to make things safer here at the mall.”
This mall still has progress to make.
Crimetracker shows six thefts and one theft from a vehiclehere during the past month. Credit West Valley Police and their persistentpatrols that there haven’t been more.
Valley Fair earns a “D” grade for safety, until the muchneeded renovation transforms this place into something more attractive, moremodern, and safer for the people who shop and work here.
Orem Police Officer Daniel Forster cruises the parking lotaround University Mall, the largest shopping center in central Utah. It’s part of theroutine as he works his beat. He’ll do it several times a night. His verypresence is a crime deterrent.
"Most crime is a crime of opportunity, especiallyduring the holiday season,” he instructs as I ride along in his squad car.
He’s looking for “anything unusual,” he says. That includesmistakes, astoundingly bad mistakes, by shoppers who come here.
"I can’t tell you how often we have stolen vehicles orvehicles that are burglarized due to the fact that someone leaves the keys theignition or leaves the vehicle unlocked with the keys in there,” he says,shaking his head.
He goes on. “They leave their purse or their shopping bagsthey’ve just filled at the local store right in the front seat for everyone tosee.”
The mall itself looks safe, if you’re in front, where wesee brightly lit parking lots, conveniently outside six entrances.
Go to the north side of this mall and things change.Suddenly, it’s as though we’re at a different mall in a different city. Parkinglot lamps are out, all the way around the now closed Mervyn’s department store.Two entrances hide in a shroud of darkness, hundreds of yards from dozens ofcars, inexplicably parked there.
"Would you advise anybody to park in this section?” Iask. "I would avoid areas like this at all cost,” Officer Forster answerswithout hesitation. “On a night like tonight where there’s a lot less trafficgoing through here, it is dark here and this is an area for a crime ofopportunity.”
Crimetracker shows nine thefts at University Mall duringthe past month. Orempolice have kept crime at bay here. Its dark north side and no visible sign ofmall security on patrol earn this shopping center a “C -.”
Whatever the grade at whatever the mall in whatever the city,law enforcers sound a common theme - don’t make yourself a target.
From Officer Forster:
Be aware of your surroundings and don’t park in the dark.
From Sergeant Schwemmer:
Don’t leave your purse in the shopping cart when you’reloading your package or groceries into your car.
From Sergeant Chapman:
Don’t ever walk alone, even if that means calling someoneon your cell phone and talking loudly while you’re walking to or from yourvehicle.
To see what crime is happening where you shop or where youlive, go to abc4.com and click on the Crimetracker link.
