Malls defenceless against crime

Johannesburg - Despite the hundreds of millions that owners of shopping centres spend on safeguarding their complexes every year, security measures seem to be unsuccessful.

Shopping centres have always been easy robbery targets as they are open spaces but in the past two months, in particular, they have come under heavy fire.

If one considers there are about 4 800 retail centres countrywide, the problem could become more widespread.

Figures from the Consumer Goods Council of SA (CGCSA) show there were 25 South African shopping centre robberies in July, and in August there were 15 in Gauteng alone.

Michael Broughton, director of the CGCSA's crime prevention programme and shopping centre initiative, said July's count was the highest monthly figure in the past three years and that two-thirds of all robbery incidents occurred at Gauteng shopping centres.

Retail centre owners claim to be powerless and, no matter how many closed-circuit television cameras, booms and security guards there are, nothing acts as a deterrent.

"The problem is that security measures have little impact in preventing armed robberies," declared Stephan le Roux, Growthpoint's national retail director.

Since the safety of shoppers is at all times paramount, security guards cannot carry arms as this holds the potential of a shootout between guards and robbers.

He said security is his company's biggest single operating expense. "The total annual capital expenditure on security is R90m, the bulk of which goes towards protecting shopping centres." Growthpoint owns, inter alia, Pretoria's Brooklyn Mall and Kollonade shopping centres, Waterfall Mall in Rustenburg, La Lucia Mall in Durban and Constantia Village in Cape Town. It also has a 50% stake in Johannesburg's Northgate.

He said Brooklyn Mall is relatively vulnerable and a metal detector has recently been installed at one of the entrances. Emira chief executive James Templeton said his company spends R31m-odd a year on security for all its properties, 50% to 60% of which goes towards shopping centres.

Security services are contracted out to professional security companies and he declared agreements have been reached with the suppliers to beef up measures even further.

Broughton said representatives of the retail community, Business Against Crime and the police have been putting their heads together in the past week to come up with a workable solution for countering crime at shopping complexes.

This includes additional closed-circuit television cameras and more guards. "More specific details cannot be disclosed because the crime syndicates are exceptionally innovative.

- Sake24.com

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