Police and mall officials in the Dayton area say they face similar challenges and have been working to put strategies in place to prevent a major crowd-related incident from happening.
Miami Twp. Police Maj. John DiPietro, whose jurisdiction includes the Dayton Mall, was among four police officers helping mall security at the Finish Line store as 150 people waited for the new Air Jordans last month.
DiPietro said the event went relatively smoothly, though some line-jumpers were ejected.
“I don’t quite understand why retailers do it this way because it does create a very dangerous environment when you get so many people lined up to purchase a pair of shoes,” DiPietro said.
Finish Line manager Justin Marino said the store does a similar release every year and they strive for a safe, orderly process.
“You have to control the crowd or else the crowd controls you,” he said.
Kristie Miller, marketing director for the Mall at Fairfield Commons in Beavercreek, said the mall’s security director keeps a close eye on major releases of video games and makes sure there is “a proper amount of staffing.”
GameStop can draw hundreds of people for its midnight releases, she said.
A GameStop manager declined comment.
DiPietro said he was well aware of the situations that erupted at other malls in recent weeks because the department keeps a close eye on what’s happening at retail locations across the country.
“What we try to do is always figure out what trends and what issues might roll over into our area,” he said.
He created a Power Point presentation for the Interstate 675 Organized Retail Crime Group that spotlights some of those trends, including spontaneous flash mobs that can create unwelcome disturbances, to a newer phenomenon known as flash robs.
Those are well-coordinated efforts organized via social media where young people arrive at a certain store at a given time and raid it before dispersing quickly.
Those have occurred in Washington and Chicago and may have played a part in the Mall of America incident the day after Christmas when 10 people were arrested.
Witnesses reported some offenders grabbed items from shoppers and kiosks during the melee, the Associated Press reported.
DiPietro believes the Dayton Mall’s “Must Be 16” policy that took effect in 2003 and requires anyone younger than the age of 16 to be accompanied by a parent or guardian after 4 p.m. on Friday and Saturday has been successful in addressing the problem of groups of unruly juveniles gathering there.
“The success was tremendous in solving the problem,” DiPietro said.
Margie Bicknell, 73, of New Lebanon, likes the policy.
“It seems that you don’t see gangs around or large groups,” said Bicknell, who was shopping with her 12-year-old granddaughter at the mall last week.
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