Car parks are often regarded as high crime areas, with car thefts, window break-ins, and even abductions.  

People usually blame a crime on the lack of security at the car park but there are times when such a case happens because of the people’s own carelessness. Sunway Pyramid security manager Victor Tan disclosed a shocking figure of unlocked doors and unwound windows found in the shopping mall car park. 

“In 2006, there were 1,836 cars found unlocked and 410 cars did not wind up their windows. The figures in 2007 were 4,027 and 200 respectively,” he said. 

Cineleisure Damansara security executive Subash Kumaran said that there had been no crime concerning cars in the shopping mall car park and most of the cases were helmet thefts. 

“To prevent the problem from worsening, we are planning to install lockers for the motorcyclists to store their helmets,” he said. 

Over at 1 Utama, the management has decided to build platforms at the car park for a more effective security system. ”Instead of patrolling all over the area, our guards are to stand on the platforms for better view of the whole car park. Their presence will be felt better and the patrons know where to locate them in case of emergency,” 1 Utama operations manager Anderson Chong said. 

To create a safer environment for the public, the shopping malls in town work together in sharing information. “We might be business competitors, but in security wise, we are close partners,” Choong said. 

He said the security departments would inform each other about the latest crime happenings in their respective malls. 

SACC Mall senior security officer Ismail Jalil said the shopping mall security had regular meetings with the police to exchange information, such as the images of the culprits. 

“Our main concern use to be of laptops and other electronic accessories stolen whenever it is placed in the car as many thefts own the device which can detect those items without even having to break into it yet,” said Sungei Wang Plaza public relations manager KK Lim. 

Lim said that after placing signs to remind shoppers not to leave their valuable items in the car, such cases had decreased greatly. 

“We have customers coming to us, saying that their vehicles have been stolen while in fact they just went to the wrong area to search for their cars,” said 1 Utama Shopping Centre security & safety senior executive Santa Singh. 

Santa suggested that the patrons should take a picture of the block number on the pillars with their camera phones before entering the shopping malls.