SUNDAY JUNE 12 2016

LEDGER-ENQUIRER.COM News 5A

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made in America anymore.
Shopping Area Year Homicide Rape Robbery Aggravated Assault Burglary Larceny Motor Vehicle Theft Total
Kirven said he believes
2015 0 0 0 0 2 71 1 74 the recent shootings at
Cross Country Plaza Peachtree Mall are drug
2016 0 0 0 0 0 11 0 11
related, but hes not sure
North Columbus 2015 0 0 1 0 8 158 9 176 what the mall can do to
Crossing 2016 0 0 0 0 4 14 1 19 solve the problem.
2015 0 0 1 1 1 36 2 41 People have a right to
Peachtree Mall congregate. People have a
2016 1 0 0 4 1 10 0 16
right to be there. How do
The Landings 2015 0 1 3 3 4 96 5 112 you stop it? he asked.
2016 0 0 4 0 4 9 1 18 Back in the 60s, 70s,
...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 80s, people didnt walk
around with guns like this. It
wasnt a thing. If people
FROM PAGE 1A isnt as rampant as it may Landings. mall also included many stay at Columbus Square didnt like you, they might
appear and Peachtree had A Larceny: 14 at Colum- local boutiques, restaurants because it was more estab- pull a knife out, or they

CRIME less crime than other local

shopping centers in 2015,
which is the last year for
bus Park Crossing; 11 at
Cross Country Plaza; 10 at
Peachtree Mall, nine at The
and a theater.
It was always a mixed
demographic out there,
lished.
And we were not real
happy with the Peachtree
might just hit somebody.
Thomas, of the local
NAACP, said black and
ing things online when we which complete statistics Landings. said Kirven, when asked Mall location, he added. It white residents need to
need it. I dont agree with are available. A Motor Vehicle Theft: about the population. But was at the next exit, and it stand together to improve
that at all. The CPD provided the One at Columbus Park at the time it was more should have been two exists the quality of lives of young
Ryan Carmona, 19, said Ledger-Enquirer with the Crossing; and one at The white-oriented. away so both could survive. people prone to a life of
he just graduated from breakdown of Part One Landings A demographic shift The businesses were fight- violence.
basic training at Fort Ben- crimes at local shopping started as white residents ing for the same population We heard just a couple
ning, and military officials centers in 2015. The cate- REPEATING HISTORY moved farther north and of people. of days ago that some of the
recently warned him and gories listed are homicide, Hal Kirvens great-grand- black families replaced Kirven said his family programs from the Parks
other privates to avoid the rape, robbery, aggravated father, Joseph Albert Kirven, them in neighborhoods like closed its original downtown and Rec are about to be
mall because of the recent assault, burglary, larceny opened Kirvens Depart- East Wynnton, Kirven said. store in 1987 and then cut, she said. And if you
shootings. He has six more and motor vehicle theft. ment Store on Broadway in The mall remained vibrant pulled out of Columbus keep taking things away,
weeks in the city and In 2015, there were a total downtown Columbus in for many years, but over Square in 1993, mainly then of course what
doesnt plan to go. of 403 Part One crimes 1876. The business was later time people began to associ- because there was no one in they live, see and breathe on
The most recent shoot- reported at Peachtree Mall, run by his grandfather, ate it with the gangs and the younger generation TV and on the radio, theyre
ing occurred on June 5, Columbus Park Crossing, father and brother. The violence. prepared to carry on the going to act it out, because
when a 22-year-old man Cross Country Plaza and family saw the citys shop- Kirven said the image was business. Still, he wishes the they have nothing else to do
broke into a shoppers van The Landings Shopping ping patterns shift from based on fear rather than city still had a mall like with their hyperactivity.
before firing shots at him Center combined. Of that downtown to Macon Road, facts. Crime was not really Columbus Square with more But its also about parents
and two others in the mall number, 176 occurred at and then north to Peachtree an issue, he said. I could homegrown businesses. doing a better job raising
parking lot, according to Columbus Park Crossing, Mall and other centers. remember rumors that there There are no independ- their children, she added.
police. The suspect, Quata- 112 at The Landings, 74 at In 1975, Kirvens Depart- were people hiding under ent stores anymore, he You have to teach your
vious Randell Farley, alleg- Cross Country Plaza, and 41 ment Store opened another cars, reaching under there said. In Columbus Square, children how to act when
edly forced his girlfriend to at Peachtree Mall, according location at Columbus and slicing people. I dont you had Kirvens, you had they leave your house, she
drive him away from the to CPD records. Square Mall, which had know where that rumor Kiddie Shoppe (now located said. But a lot of times
mall by holding her at Accounting for 89 percent opened in 1965 as one of the came from, but it never at The Shoppes at Bradley parents are out there work-
gunpoint. of the crime was larceny, first indoor malls in Georgia. happened. Park) local stores that ing hard and dont know
The following shootings which includes auto theft, Hal Kirven remembers it When Peachtree Mall went out there. They that their children are get-
also happened at Peachtree theft by taking, theft by being the citys urban shop- opened in 1975, the devel- brought flavor. Now, they ting into different things
over the past four months: shoplifting and theft of lost ping area. In its heyday, the opers tried to convince are all the same chains. until after the police call.
A In late February, police or mislaid property. And 44 malls other anchor tenants Kirvens Department Store They have the same mer-
investigated an apparent percent of those were at included stores such as to relocate there, he said, chandise. Theyre all im- Alva James-Johnson:
gunshot fired into the floor. Columbus Park Crossing, Sears and J.C. Penney. The but the family decided to ported because nothing is 706-571-8521, @amjreporter
Police believe a gun dis- located at 5550 Whittlesey
charged in the pocket of a Blvd.
shopper. Anytime you have a
A On March 4, a 16- retail area like Peachtree
year-old girl was shot in and the other shopping
the back in an apparent areas, you have instances of
dispute. larceny, said Slouchick.
A On March 26, Anthony Larceny goes up because
Meredith, 24, died of mul- people bring their vehicles
tiple gunshots wounds there, they bring their prop-
while shopping for an East- erty there, and they leave.
er dress for his daughter in People go to shop, not al-
whats believed to be a ways aware of their sur-
gang-related killing. The roundings.
incident occurred at the Heres the breakdown of
southwest entrance of the all Part One crimes commit-
shopping center, just out- ted at the four shopping
side the food court. areas in 2015:
The Ledger-Enquirer A Larceny: 158 at Colum-
contacted Onassis Burress, bus Park Crossing, 96 at
the malls general manag- The Landings, 71 at Cross
er, requesting an interview Country Plaza, and 36 at
to discuss the recent shoot- Peachtree Mall.
ings and the impact theyve A Homicide: Zero at all
had on the malls image. four shopping centers.
Burress responded by A Rape: One at The Land-
email with the following ings.
statement: The safety and A Robbery: Three at The
well-being of our visitors Landings, one at Columbus
and employees at Peach- Park Crossing, one at
tree Mall is our top priority. Peachtree Mall.
We work closely with the A Aggravated Assault:
city and the Columbus Three at The Landings, one
police department. We at Peachtree Mall.
constantly review and A Burglary: Eight at Co-
evaluate our security pro- lumbus Park Crossing; four
cedures to ensure the safe- at The Landings; two at
ty and well-being of every- Cross Country Plaza; and
one who walks through our one at Peachtree Mall.
doors. We generally do not A Motor Vehicle Theft:
discuss our security mea- Nine at Columbus Park
sures. Crossing; five at The Land-
ings; two at Peachtree Mall
THE NUMBERS and one at Cross Country
But local police said the Plaza.
malls reputation has been So far in 2016, the four
marred by the incidents, shopping centers have had
based on perceptions and at least 64 Part One crimes:
not always reality. 19 at Columbus Park Cross-
I think if you look on ing, 18 at The Landings, 16
social media and you hear at Peachtree Mall, and 11 at
what people are saying, Cross Country Plaza, ac-
theres definitely a concern cording to statistics provid-
about Peachtree Mall and ed by the CPD.
the surrounding area, said However, the 44 larcenies
Maj. Gil Slouchick, of the reported so far for 2016
CPDs investigative servic- include only incidents asso-
es. But the notion that ciated with auto entry,
Peachtree Mall is less safe Slouchick said. Numbers for
than other local shopping theft by taking, theft by
areas in Columbus is in- shoplifting and theft of lost
correct, he said. or mislaid property werent
Weve had a homicide at available because the CPD
Peachtree Mall; we havent converted to a new record
had any at the other shop- management system in
ping areas, he said. But March and had problems
the homicide at Peachtree retrieving the information.
Mall would have happened Heres the breakdown of
wherever this individual crimes at the four shopping
came across the victim. centers so far for 2016:
I mean, it just happened A Homicides: One at
to be at Peachtree Mall. It Peachtree Mall.
would have been the same A Rape: Zero at all four
thing had they come across shopping centers.
one another at a park some- A Robbery: Four at The
where. They dont wake up Landings.
and say, Hey, Im going to A Aggravated Assault:
go to Peachtree Mall and Four at Peachtree, which
commit a crime like this. includes the shooting in-
In fact, crime statistics cidents.
provided by the Columbus A Burglary: Four at Co-
Police Department show lumbus Park Crossing; one
that crime at Peachtree Mall at Peachtree; four at The