Shoppers advised about deadly mall attacks

In a joint effort between U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security and Mall retail associations, mall employees and shoppers are being advised on how to protect themselves against assailants armed with guns.

It is a sad reflection of the society in which we live, but statistics show that there is a real need for such training. Between 2004 and 2008, there have been 17 shooting incidents in U.S. malls. The shootings have resulted in 34 deaths and 33 injuries.

The issued guidelines warn that the shootings are often committed by current and former retail employees with grievances against their employers (workplace violence) or are related to an associate with domestic problems (domestic violence).

We continue to advocate for better training for mall security officers. Unfortunately, many times employers have to face huge lawsuits before they are willing to spend money on any additional security training. The ironic part is that had they done the right thing to begin with, in many cases they could have saved tens of millions of dollars in those same lawsuits and not suffered reputation damage and loss.