The Portland-Metro area is starting to question, “how much security do we really need?”
From repetitive attacks on Tri-Met, to hold ups in convenience stores, to hostage situations and bomb threats in public places— Today, it seems like you can never really be too sure of your safety. You can’t turn on the news and listen through a simple, half-hour segment, without hearing about a public safety concern.
What we need, (and any other major city, in fact) are top-of-the-line Portland security companies patrolling popular, public areas, and Tri-met and other public transportation services ALL the time. If airports and malls can have specific public security officers, why can’t public transportation?
Personally, I have become so much more aware of the ongoing crime and violence that continues to reoccur day in and day out. Now that I take the Max to school every day, I have seen drug deals, verbal child abuse, men and women getting side-tackled by police, and events of screaming, cursing, and fits of rage from people. I don’t remember the last time that I rode the Max without feeling uncomfortable, annoyed, scared, or concerned.
Another personal experience that I’ve come to learn is the amount of theft and public disturbance that goes on in highly public places. Since I currently work in a shopping mall, I am constantly seeing people run out of stores with stolen items and sketchy people walking in and out of stores and around the mall. It’s especially crazy around holiday shopping season, when there are already so many people that you can’t keep track of everyone.
After this last holiday season, I’ve come to realize the state of our mall security and I just have to ask, what are you doing to help prevent your mall’s loss-prevention?
Numerous times, a co-worker or myself has had to call our mall security and have them come check out a situation for us. After either being put on hold or being asked to repeat a simple thing over and over, I have come to believe that our mall security is NOT what it should be—especially with the need for instantaneous and non-hesitant assistance.
I kid you not, the last time I called down for mall security, my call was sent to an automated service, that told me my estimated wait time was 5 minutes! What if it would have been an emergency? Would the mall security be reprimanded for their lack-of-assistance? We have actually had the police come in throughout the mall, and tell managers that they are aware of our state of (s)mall security, and have offered us service anytime if we just call the non-emergency number. We might as well just kick our security out and rely on our city police. Or perhaps even our STATE police could respond faster than our mall security?
