Police have ramped up their presence at shopping centers in Danville since the end of November for the holiday retail season.
“The public can expect an increased police presence at all of the shopping centers in Danville,” said Danville Police Sgt. Evan Wilson, adding that more officers can especially be anticipated in the northwest part of the city.
That section of Danville is where all of the city’s busiest shopping areas are located, especially during the holiday shopping season. Those retail centers include Coleman Marketplace, the Danville Mall and Walmart at Mount Cross Road.
“Generally, the public can expect an increase in traffic,” Wilson said.
The added patrols are due to more traffic and retail activity starting after Thanksgiving, with more customers entering and leaving stores and heading back to their vehicles, Wilson said.
People are also reading…
“Safety is always a concern for us,” Wilson said. “As we get to the holidays, people are going to spend an increased amount of money.”
While there is no increased risk to customers, “I caution and would warn people frequenting our shopping areas just to be vigilant” when walking from the stores to their cars, he said.
“Just be vigilant about what’s going on around you,” Wilson said, encouraging residents to contact the police department — or call 911 — if they notice anything suspicious.
While law enforcement will be patrolling busy shopping centers, they will not be directing traffic, Wilson pointed out. That is done by private entities hired by property owners, he said.
Police would only get involved in the case of a bad crash or other emergency issue, Wilson said.
Whenever there is an increase in traffic congestion, the number of wrecks will go up. However, “I’m not aware of an increase in crashes related to the shopping centers directly,” he said.
Wilson reminds drivers to take their time, slow down and make sure the way is clear of both vehicles and pedestrians at intersections before pulling out into traffic.
As for the Danville Mall, the police have beefed up their presence there following the October homicide at Hibbett Sports, as well as for the holiday season.
“That was to make retailers feel safer coming back to work,” Wilson said.
However, the fatal shooting was an isolated incident and there is no added risk for mall customers as a result, he pointed out.
“There is absolutely no reason for people visiting the mall to feel unsafe,” Wilson said. “There is absolutely no risk of increased violence.”
To help curtail shoplifting, the police department has been working with loss-prevention offices at retailers in the city for about two years.
“We have a working relationship with loss-prevention offices,” Wilson said.
Police stay in touch with them regarding shoplifting and with information about repeat offenders, he said.
“We’re just trying to prevent primarily any offense related to larceny, theft, things of that nature,” Wilson said.