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MAY 2017 I Vol. 13, No. 5 I prestonhollowpeople.com I phollowpeople I 214-739-2244
Heightened Security Yields Mixed Results at NorthPark SHOPPERS MAY FEEL SAFER, BUT CRIME PERSISTS
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Chris Beattie
Special Contributor Strolling around NorthPark Center, it’s obvious safety has become a top priority: security officers pacing outside stores, escorts zooming shoppers to and from their vehicles, and – perhaps most telling – lots of smiling faces. But a greater emphasis on security hasn’t translated to fewer crimes inside the mall, and has led to mixed results directly outside of it, according to police reports. In early 2016, following a string of parking lot robberies, including one in broad daylight, NorthPark visitors were asking for more security at the upscale shopping mall located off North Central Expressway. More than 1,000 people signed an online petition calling for parking lot escorts and confirmation that the mall’s security cameras were operational. Petition organizer Heather LeClair met with NorthPark staff to discuss the potential security upgrades. “I truly felt as though they really heard the concerns of the community,” LeClair stated in a follow-up post on Change.org, the site on which the petition was formed. “I was very pleased to hear they have been working on enhanced security initiatives for some time, and they were grateful
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SAFETY ENHANCEMENTS
S C H O O LS
• Additional police onsite • Courtesy shuttles • Improved surveillance system • Security bike patrols • More parking garage cameras
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LAURA BUCKMAN
NorthPark Center, prompted by 2016 incidents and a petition from shoppers, is employing more security measures, including courtesy parking lot shuttles.
for a forum in which to share them.” Some of those initiatives include: a courtesy shuttle with a concierge escort at the mall’s four main entrances; an increased Dallas Police Department (DPD) presence; an enhanced surveillance system, including additional cameras in the parking garages; security bike patrols; and new sig-
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nage with security contact information for customers to report concerns. “These efforts have been met with positive feedback from our customers, who appreciate the extra steps to provide a superior shopping experience,” said Kristen Gibbins, NorthPark’s executive director of marketing.
CONTINUED ON 12
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