ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, November 26, 1996 TAG: 9611260115
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
The holiday shopping season is under way, and some law enforcement officials say the hustle and bustle of the season and a false sense of security combine to make shoppers easy prey for prowling criminals.
``America wants to cling to the belief it's inherently safe at malls,'' said Maj. Dana Libby, commander of the Fairfax County police patrols.
But statistics increasingly show the opposite may be the reality.
In Fairfax County, one of only a few Virginia counties that keeps track of crimes that occur in malls, there were 29 violent crimes reported at Tysons Corner Center from January 1993 to mid-October 1996. Also, there were four reported at Tysons Galleria, 16 at Fair Oaks and 37 at Springfield Mall.
Washington lawyer Patrick Regan, a specialist in safety liability suits, said shopping creates ``an almost captive audience for criminals.''
``Customers will have cash or expensive possessions. Many of the shoppers are women who shop alone and who sometimes have to park in the far reaches of the parking lot,'' Regan said.
Recently, mall workers also have been the victims of violent crime.
At Cloverleaf Mall in Richmond, two store workers were stabbed to death in an apparent robbery attempt Nov.7.
And on Oct. 17, a shootout between a bank robber and a police officer at Tysons Corner Center in Fairfax ended with the fatal shooting of Tariq M. Khan, who had just taken $56,000 from Riggs National Bank.
The spate of crimes has shopping centers planning to beef up their security. Nationally, industry figures show spending for security systems at the largest malls has increased 38 percent from 1992 to 1994.
Tysons Corner Center has round-the-clock patrols, marked cars with flashing beacons, closed-circuit TV cameras in the parking lot and garage and regular patrols by the Fairfax County police.
Nearby Springfield Mall has a security force of 35, larger than many small municipalities, said mall manager Jerry Robinson.
Despite the increased security, only a few mall operators inform the public about crime or suggest their customers take precautions.
``It's always a Catch-22,'' said Robinson. ``There's always a danger, here or anywhere. But we don't want people to be paranoid about it.''
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