Safety of shopping malls questioned after deadly shooting inside St. Louis Galleria
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RICHMOND HEIGHTS, MO (KMOV) — The deadly shooting inside the St. Louis Galleria Mall has brought up new concerns on the safety of shopping.
Online records show that Richmond Heights police were called to the Galleria Mall on average more than once a day in 2019.
City council member Reginald Finney is looking for answers on how to increase security.
“Maybe they should put in metal detectors but then that takes it to a different level,” Finney said.
Security expert David Levenberg said shoppers are only willing to accept so much and there is a delicate balance between keeping shoppers safe without a heavy-handed approach to security.
“There was a time some years ago where many malls were beginning to implement what they call a parental escort policy because of disruptive kids,” Levenberg said. “That kind of died down but it seems to be coming back. And now violence, active shooters are huge issues within the shopping center industry.”
Councilman Finney said there are no easy answers and believe the community will need to weigh in.
“If we were to have that conversation it has to be inclusive of the citizens of Richmond Heights being able to express their opinion,” Finney said.
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