CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Northlake Mall in north Charlotte is getting more security features starting in April.
The mall teamed up with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department to come up with new measures to hopefully make the mall a safer place for patrons and retailers.
“You don’t want to go somewhere and have to worry about someone pulling out a gun or shooting you," Charlotte resident Kristine Pham said. "You want to be able to focus on shopping."
The measures include increasing the number of off-duty police officers and K9 patrols, installing public-view monitors at the higher trafficked areas of the mall, upgrading the mall's CCTV cameras and adding vehicle recognition technology at vehicle entrances that will be able to cross-reference CMPD's programs.
Still, some shoppers say they won't be visiting.
“I don’t feel really safe going there," Dawn Rappold said.
“We have been proactively working with the CMPD to ensure the safety of our retailers, employees, and customers while working to prevent these events from happening in the future,” Carmen D. Spinoso, chairman and CEO of Spinoso Real Estate Group, which owns Northlake Mall, said in a statement. “We stand in partnership with our valued retailers in prioritizing the safety and well-being of Mall employees and the shoppers who enjoy our retail experience – and will continue to ensure that anyone who enters the Mall can do so comfortably.”
Northlake implemented a new youth supervision policy last August that requires all visitors 17 and under to be accompanied by an adult who is at least 21 after 3 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Spinoso Real Estate Group said the change was made after a juvenile was charged with attempted murder in connection with a shooting at the mall in March 2021. Concord Mills, which is owned by Simon Properties, has a similar policy in place following a deadly shooting in 2019.
Northlake Mall has been the site of various violent incidents recently. An argument outside Macy's led to shots being fired in the parking lot on Feb. 28. No one was hurt during the incident. A few weeks earlier, the mall was closed due to a fight that led to a shooting. The most serious incident happened in December 2022, when two people were shot when a fight broke out between multiple people. Three people were arrested in connection with that shooting.
The crime has also derailed business. A few notable retailers have pulled out of the mall in light of the violence, including Apple and Buckle. Current tenants like NOA Living said additional security is a step in the right direction.
“Business is very slow," CEO of NOA Living Sam Nehme said. "We’re hoping that people again feel more comfortable and come discover our beautiful stuff."
Nehme said there will need to be a big shift in public perception.
“I think it’s safe, but the stigma, I’m not sure how to overcome it," Nehme said.
CMPD Police Chief Johnny Jennings recently released a statement regarding Northlake Mall:
“Northlake Mall has been a vigilant and dedicated partner on these incidents in ensuring a safe environment for our community. They are working with CMPD on several safety measures. Public safety remains our top priority, and we look to our continued work with the mall, area businesses, community members, and others as we address these incidents.”
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