Thompson mall says 'Figar-no' to loitering, crime
Classical music played on speakers during the day to discourage loitering around northern Manitoba city's mall
The City Centre Mall in Thompson, Man., has turned to playing classical music from a loudspeaker to deter loitering, which it says helps reduce crime in the mall parking lot.
"We have, unfortunately, had a murder on the parking lot last year. We had a security guard who was hospitalized after being hit on the head with a shopping cart before we had purchased the property, and numerous other illegal activity," said Brock Rogerson, a director with R2 Capital Partners, the company that owns the mall.
To prevent that, the mall turned last November to playing a range of classical music in hopes of keeping people from gathering in the parking lot — a technique that has been used at other stores and malls across the country.
Rogerson acknowledges the mall had to turn the volume down after being cited by the City of Thompson for a noise bylaw violation, but says overall, there's been a 24 per cent reduction in reported incidents at the mall.
The City of Thompson confirmed that it has received complaints about the music and issued a citation for a bylaw violation.
Rogerson said the music is at a reasonable level now, and that it only plays until 8 p.m. on weekdays and 7 p.m. on Saturdays.
"When the music was louder, it was actually more effective. In the first week … that it was louder, we literally would turn it on, there'd be a group of 20 or 30 people, and within five minutes they would walk and leave," he said.
But not all shoppers think the music is a solution to the problem.
Milt Gobel said he'd like to see more long-term solutions to address the root causes of crime.
He called the music an "interesting experiment," but said better solutions would be "proper housing, and an opportunity for these folks to be where they should be — in a safe place."
Bradley Wickert, who lives near Thompson and drives into the city for shopping, said the music was loud and obnoxious.
"I think it's a way to keep people away who they assume aren't paying any money," he said. "It's rather off-putting. I'm here to do business, I'm here to shop, and I really don't need to hear that blasting," he said.
Wickert said the music makes him want to avoid the mall, and says more security officers might be a better alternative.
Rogerson says the safety of shoppers is his main concern, and that the vocal group of people complaining about the music are outnumbered by those who value public safety. That's a tradeoff he said many are willing to make.
"I'll tell you what [customers] 100 per cent are discouraged by, and that's physical violence, indecent exposure, public intoxication," he said.
"We have two grocery stores at this mall. People should be able to get their groceries and not be approached and either verbally or physically assaulted while they're trying to get … their day-to-day necessities."
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