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Date, SMSI Staff Writer
The recent alerts for shopping malls in West Los Angeles emphasizes the need for preparedness. These warnings also implicitly evoke a number of other realities and responses:
- A warning, such as the one in LA can affect malls across the country
- Any warning that can be potentially construed as being related to terrorism, will draw intense local and national media attention
- Warnings produce economic consequences Increased security costs Short term loss of customers
- Warnings expose the lowest common denominator of the mall security program UeP Publicized reactions reinforce the modus operandi of terrorists
- Intense publicity offers encouragement for kooks and copycats
- This kind of threat may produce knee-jerk reactions by some management companies
This event should serve as a reminder to shopping centers across the country to prepare now. That preparation should include a few basics. First, open up dialogue with local law enforcement. That dialogue should not only include response strategies, but must also include protocols for receiving and evaluating threats with clear-cut lines of authority and responsibility understood up front. Second, initiate a qualified top to bottom security audit. In addition to improving the ability to respond to threats, a security audit will increase the cost/ benefit ratio of the security program and will likely reduce liability. The audit will also reduce the probability of costly knee-jerk remedies which may be later regretted. Third, develop a media relations protocol with a single spokesperson. Fourth, once the audit is completed, promulgate the behaviors for suspicious activity on an ongoing basis. Finally, integrate security technology, such as CCTV in a manner that is synergistic with human factor protocols.
Once security protocols and designs have been implemented, share those remedies with local law enforcement and emergency response agencies. However, this information should be shared only with those who have a need to know.
This UPDATE is not intended to be all inclusive, but rather to invoke common sense responses to a serious reality. We at SMSI are aware that both local and national media outlets contacted a number of malls, as well as us, during this most recent threat. We believe that proactive actions now may preserve reputation and mitigate embarrassment that would result from an after-the-fact response.
This UPDATE is furnished by SMSI Inc., a full service security consulting firm. SMSI is not affiliated with security equipment providers nor with any contract security guard agency.
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