How To Enhance Mall Safety During the Festive Shopping Season?

The festive season is fast approaching and large groups of people are hitting the stores to stack up to their festive wardrobe. The increasing number of crowd hitting the mall not only increases sales but boosts the chances of a potential threat as well. The management at a mall faces one severe question, how to increase the safety of the space during the high shopping season?

To make mall management easier, here are mentioned 5 such tips that focus on increasing safety to the next level. Keep scrolling down to find more.

Increase the Number of Security Personnel

Do not hold back on the numbers during a festive season. The crowd can become overwhelming at times and for managing it, there needs to be a large number of personnel on the field. Additional security guards can add to the overall security of a mall. They can change shifts when patrolling. This way the chances of a potential threat being undertaken reduces. Divide the security staff into different teams to make the security management full-proof. As expert security guards suggest, no number is less when it comes to mall management during the festive shopping season.

Train the Mall Staff Right

The staff in a mall comprises valet, information desk employees, cleaners, and even the people working in the retail stores. So, other than the security personnel, there are other people integral to the functioning of the mall. While the staff responsible for security has to be trained well, it is pivotal that the other mall employees are also provided with enough training and guidance on handling large crowds. Holiday shopping season is marked by increased footfall and it is severe that they are trained appropriately. With all mall employees prepared for the threat of any kind, the place becomes safer.

Ensure The Use of Improved Security Equipment

Security personnel play a crucial role in managing the crowds as well as the staff. However, without the right equipment to back them up, the task becomes difficult. The frenzy that ensues in the malls during the festive seasons cannot be contained by the personnel alone. Hence, it is important that emergency equipment is introduced. Adequate flashlights, radios, and metal detectors should be installed in the entry and exit points. First aid boxes should also be kept in abundance in case there is an emergency.

Keep an Eye on The Strays

While malls have fixed function hours, some people with nefarious intentions survey the mall during its opening or closing time. This gives them enough time to scan the area, especially with no one to stop them. Since during these wee hours, the security personnel or even the staff just set up, it is the right time to go about the huge space. Thus, during the holiday season, it is always better to get the staff come for work at least an hour before the opening hours. This will boost preparedness for by the time people start entering, the staff will be mentally braced to monitor the crowds and further detect threats. Also, prepare different patrol routes to ensure that potential criminals can be caught off-guard if required be.

Pay Attention to High-Risk Spaces

Washrooms, garbage bins, unused corridors and stores are some of the high-risk spaces in a mall and need extra surveillance. Make sure that personnel are stationed beside these areas. Using clear waste bags makes it easy to notice unusual behaviour. Suspicious packages if noticed should be immediately notified and taken care of. Also, ensure to clear out all the garbage cans before the mall closes. Do not skip surveying the parking lot. Since it is usually a neglected area, most crimes go down there. Again have two or more security personnel stationed in a parking lot to reduce the threat.

So, this festive season makes shopping fun for the people and mall management easy for you with the right security techniques to apply. The five tips mentioned here are a great place, to begin with. It is all about being alert and being prepared. Hire the best security personnel from top agencies and make your mall a safe haven.