Securing U.S. malls against terror a delicate balance

By Nick Carey

SCHAUMBURG, Illinois (Reuters) - While the U.S. government's terrorism warning system has a range of threat levels from low to severe, Marc Strich says his Woodfield Mall has only one: full alert.

"We raised our security level to the maximum after the attacks of September 11, 2001, and have never lowered them since," said the general manager of one of America's largest malls in this Chicago suburb. "We are constantly changing and upgrading what we do because security is crucial to our business."

A report from the Federal Bureau of Investigation made public on November 8 a warning that al Qaeda might be planning to strike shopping malls in Chicago and Los Angeles in the coming holiday shopping season in a bid to disrupt the U.S. economy.

Though the agency questioned the credibility of the threat, it was a reminder of the peril posed by the post-9/11 world.

Mall operators say the FBI warning was business as usual.

"High security is the norm today, "said David Keating, spokesman for General Growth Properties Inc GGP.N, the second-largest U.S. mall operator.

Behind the scenes, however, the mall industry continues exploring new ways to meet the complex challenge it faces: protecting huge areas designed to be accessible to thousands of consumers without scaring them off.

"It's a logistical nightmare," said Micah Carlson, a project manager at the National Security Technology Department of John Hopkins University's Applied Physics Laboratory.

Carlson and his colleagues are working on a project to determine which sensors for biological, chemical and explosive agents can work in large indoor spaces like malls -- especially which sensors may be prone to false alarms.

"There are serious ramifications to pinning grandma down on the floor when she has just taken a nitroglycerin tablet," Carlson said. "It's really not good for business."

TOURIST DE-TRACTION?

Reluctant to drive customers away, the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) has also launched a training program for mall security guards to spot suspicious behavior using U.S. government-recommended techniques.

"The industry is doing all it can to provide a secure environment but not impede customers as they shop," said Malachy Kavanagh, ICSC vice president for communications. "Customers themselves can play a big role by being vigilant."

Woodfield Mall is a good example of the scale of the challenges facing the industry.

Owned by luxury mall operator Taubman Centers Inc (TCO.N), Woodfield mall is among the five biggest U.S. malls, covering some 2.7 million square feet, and is home to nearly 300 stores.