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December 11, 2006

Crowd control | Keith Stone, senior operations manager at the Maine Mall, talks about security for the busy holiday season

By Taylor Smith

The holiday crowds mean more business for the mall and its 140 or so stores, from the national department stores to the one-off kiosks selling bonsai plants and cell phone accessories. But the crowds also mean plenty more work for Keith Stone, senior operations manager at the Maine Mall, who manages the retail center's operational details big and small, from its security detail to its housekeeping staff. "The holidays are the busiest time of year," he says.

Indeed, with more people come more problems. Though Stone says most mall visitors are "well-behaved," he admits problems do happen, whether shoplifting or a couple of teenagers scuffling in the food court. According to the South Portland Police Department, there have been fewer than 250 cases of shoplifting at the mall so far this year. "Shoplifting is one of the things we deal with the most," Stone says. "It's a crime of opportunity, so if it's really busy in the mall, they're going to feel like their opportunity is best."

Stone won't divulge how many security guards are on duty during the holidays, but says there's a bump in staffing this time of year. The guards, contracted through Atlanta, Ga.-based Valor Security Services, are supplemented by a full-time officer from the South Portland Police Department, Officer Robert Libby, who bumps up his regular 40-hour work week to 50 hours during the holiday season.

And while it's news mall executives probably would prefer be kept mum, Stone says the security staff can't do much in the way of actual law enforcement. Guards can issue CTNs, or criminal trespass notices, that can keep people off the premises. But if an arrest needs to be made, it's a job for South Portland's finest.

Take shoplifting: If a clerk in a clothing store suspects someone of swiping a sweater, the mall security staff can coax that person into the store's office, where — if the store decides to press charges — they'll wait until a police officer arrives and makes the collar. "It's basically a citizen's arrest until South Portland gets involved," Stone says.

Still, a security guard's badge carries a lot of power at the Maine Mall. That's because the sight of uniformed guards is a big deterrent for troublemakers, says Stone. "It's more rare than common that we have a major problem," he adds. "I think part of that is the visibility of our security staff."

Along the same lines, the mall has made a number of upgrades in the past decade, including more lighting in the parking lots, a public safety center and a closed-circuit television system that includes video cameras spread throughout the inside and outside of the mall property. Again, mall officials can't discuss the number of cameras used, citing security concerns. Even so, the cameras aren't hidden — they're highly visible, and signs informing shoppers they're being monitored are posted at every entrance to the mall. "They've been really effective," says Stone. "It's like an insurance policy. It helps deter a lot of things that could happen."

But Stone admits that keeping shoppers safe is largely a job of customer service, whether escorting a late-night shopper to her car or quickly cleaning up spilled soda in the food court. "For us, it's a matter of maintaining what we have out there," he says. "You're constantly primping things and making sure things are looking the best they can. During the holidays, it's our high-visibility time of the year."

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