15
FEATURE: SECURITY
People
POWERED
Manned guarding is an essential aspect
of mall security. But centres are involving
another set of eyes and ears: those of the
retailers themselves
T
here’s no denying that CCTV systems are a vital part of point of being virtually inactive.
shopping centre security. Technology improves on a yearly “This system had become more and more ineffective due to it
basis, providing clearer images and digital formatting. But being both poorly managed and monitored by the contractor and
CCTV, regardless of its quality, is not enough to prevent and deter the civilian operators,” he explains. “Consequently, it was not creating
crime. Centres need people feeding information from ground level the deterrent environment that a system of this nature should. We
if they want to root out trouble makers for good. While accredited couldn’t move forward with it because it wasn’t good enough value for
security guards are one form of manned guarding, several centres our retailers. They would contact the control room and get no answer.”
are putting some of the responsibility into the hands of the The controversy surrounding service charges has prompted
retailers. management and landlords to demonstrate its value to their tenants.
When management at The Thistles Shopping Centre in Stirling This was a tough call when only 30 out of The Thistles’ 95 retailers
reviewed their CCTV security system, things weren’t running as signed up to the old security system, lowering its value for the centre
smoothly as hoped. The contractor, Shopsafe, was managing the radio as a whole. “It was part of the service charge: retailers were paying for
link system remotely via civilian CCTV operators. But according to it so it should have been working. Word got round and there was little
centre manager Colin Moulson, this was all a little too remote – to the confidence in the system.”
www.shopping-centre.co.uk January 2010 SHOPPING CENTRE
15-17-SCJan10-Security1[1].indd 15 14/1/10 19:21:32
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36