SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC NEWS) – As Black Friday brews just over a week away and the countdown to Christmas begins, the Syracuse Police Department (SPD) is taking proactive steps to ensure the safety of shoppers at Destiny USA.
To bolster security measures, SPD has begun to station an increased number of police officers in and around Destiny USA throughout the holiday season. These extra officers assigned to the daily mall detail come along with the up to six officers Destiny USA funds and the mall’s private security company. In addition, a new bike patrol has been introduced to monitor the mall’s halls, adding an extra layer of visibility and accessibility.
The bikes are usually used in the street to provide greater mobility. Officers can see and hear better while outside of the cars, according to Syracuse Police Department Public Information Officer, Lieutenant Matthew Malinowski. SPD has found great success with the bikes and is hoping that will translate indoors at the mall.
“One of the challenges we have is juveniles,” said Malinowski. “Very difficult to try to manage. They’re not listening to security, not listening to police. When we do try and interact with them, they run off. We don’t want to create a sense of panic. We don’t chase the juveniles around; we don’t run and do foot chases all day.”
Malinowski said the advantage with the bikes is that not only will they be able to follow the juveniles quicker, but they’re a lot more of a visual feature.
“It’s just more of a deterrent,” said Malinowski. “People notice the bikes. They’re bigger, they’re faster, they’ve got helmets on. So, people are aware the police are here in addition to the foot patrol.”
With the start of the holiday shopping season approaching, We are proud to expand our partnership with @destinyusa .
Our new proactive bicycle patrol enhances what the mall is already doing to keep shoppers safe, and serves as a deterrent for retail theft. pic.twitter.com/ofvOvNzGFv
— Syracuse Police Department (@SyracusePolice) November 7, 2023
According to Malinowski, SPD has done a great job reducing violent crime this year, down about six percent from last year. However, larceny continues to be an issue for them, up almost 30 percent from last year.
“The biggest driver for larcenies in our city is the mall,” said Malinowski. “I think that’s purely based on its size and how many stores. So to tackle property crimes citywide, we’re going to start with the highest place that generates all of the larcenies.”
The mall has seen its fair share of crime over the past few years. Back in early March of 2022, a 15-year-old fired a gun inside Destiny USA during a fight. Syracuse University junior Ben Freedman was watching a movie in the mall when the shot was fired. He said it’s comforting to hear of these new security measures being put into place.
“I think it’s a ‘the more, the merrier’ type situation,” said Freedman. “You can never have too much protection. You can never have too much security. I think for a mall as large as Destiny and how many shoppers they get on a daily basis, it can only be a good thing to have as many protective measures as possible.”
But the relationship between mall and shopper is symbiotic. While SPD and Destiny USA attempt to do their part in preventing crime this holiday season, the responsibility also falls on everyone who visits the mall.
“Crime comes down to really two things,” said Malinowski. “The desire to commit crime and the opportunity. So if you take one of those out, crime will go down. If we remove the opportunity, putting valuables in your trunk and locking your car, that’s going to be a big help.”
Malinowski also said some of these changes, like the bikes, will be here to stay. With the others, it will be assessed later if the changes will be permanent.
