DOI: 10.3886/icpsr21140
title: Preparedness of Large Retail Malls to Prevent and Respond to Terrorist Attack, 2004 [United States]
title: Archival Version

description: The purpose of this project was to assess the level of
 security in large indoor shopping malls. The researchers administered
 surveys to the security directors of the nation's largest indoor
 retail malls. The researchers sent letters with surveys attached, to
 1,372 security directors of enclosed retail malls across the country,
 which were at least 250,000 square feet in size. A total of 120
 completed surveys were returned. The survey instrument was divided
 into the following nine sections: (1) Hiring Standards, (2) Training,
 (3) Security Budget, (4) Human Surveillance Strategies, (5) Access
 Control Plans, (6) Technological Enhancements, (7) Emergency
 Preparedness Procedures, (8) Relations with the Public Sector, and (9)
Opinions about Terrorist Threat.
description: The purpose of this project was to assess the
 level of security in large indoor shopping malls as well as the
 associated issues of training and legislation of private security
 forces. The researchers evaluated the degree to which malls had become
 better prepared to respond to terrorist attacks in the aftermath of
September 11, 2001.
description: The researchers administered surveys to the
 security directors of the nation's largest indoor retail malls. In
 2004, the researchers sent letters with surveys attached, to 1,372
 security directors of enclosed retail malls across the country, which
 were at least 250,000 square feet in size. Initially, after sending
 surveys that were written on American Society for Industrial Security
 (ASIS) letterhead, the researchers received 32 completed
 surveys. Several security directors called and told the researchers
 that they had been instructed by their parent organizations not to
 cooperate with the survey. These large mall owners were members of the
 Security Committee of the International Council of Shopping
 Centers. After sending a follow-up letter on National Institute of
 Justice letterhead several weeks later, a total of 120 surveys were
completed.
description: The survey instrument was divided into the
 following nine sections: (1) Hiring Standards, (2) Training, (3)
 Security Budget, (4) Human Surveillance Strategies, (5) Access Control
 Plans, (6) Technological Enhancements, (7) Emergency Preparedness
 Procedures, (8) Relations with the Public Sector, and (9) Opinions
 about Terrorist Threat. Variables in Section 1, Hiring Standards,
 include minimum qualifications, background checks, and changes in
 hiring standards since September 11. Section 2, Training, contains
 variables on the amount/type of training and how that has changed
 since September 11, the organization that provides the training, and
 the adequacy of training. Section 3, Security Budget, includes
 information on the number of security staff and their salaries as well
 as the expenditure of funds since September 11. Section 4, Human
 Surveillance Strategies, contains items pertaining to stated security
 goals and objectives with respect to protection from terrorist attack,
 the utilization of undercover staff, the scrutiny of potential
 terrorists, and changes in these areas since September 11. Variables
 in Section 5, Access Control Plans, include the public availability of
 facility plans or blueprints, specific plans to limit access to the
 mall or to sensitive areas inside the mall in case of perceived threat
 or change in the national alert level, whether new plans had been put
 in place and whether the availability of plans had changed since
 September 11. Section 6, Technological Enhancements, contains items
 relating to the usage of surveillance cameras, passive barriers,
 explosive-resistant trashcans, and window film, as well as items
 pertaining to the detection of biological or chemical agents,
 explosives, contaminants, and the Department of Homeland Security
 Buffer Zone Protection Program. Variables included in Section 7,
 Emergency Preparedness Procedures, include written protocols for
 security staff, emergency response plans, exercises to rehearse
 protocols with first responders, and coordination with other agencies
 with respect to emergency preparedness protocols and procedures.
 Relations with the Public Sector, Section 8, contains items pertaining
 to involvement with the state homeland security adviser, state law
 enforcement agencies, local law enforcement agencies, and the
 Department of Homeland Security. Variables in Section 9, Opinions
 about Terrorist Threat, include the importance of various events to
 daily security activities, the type of terrorist attack that is
 perceived most likely, and the criticality of various security
measures.
description: Not applicable.
description: Response Rates: Of the 1,372 surveys mailed, a total of 120 surveys
were completed and returned for a response rate of 9 percent.
description: Presence of Common Scales: Several Likert-type scales were used.
description: The researchers sent letters with surveys attached, to
 1,372 security directors of enclosed retail malls across the United
 States, which were at least 250,000 square feet in size. The
 researchers did not observe significant differences in response rates
 either by size of mall or region of the country (East Coast, South,
Midwest, West, or West Coast).
description: Datasets: 
DS1: Preparedness of Large Retail Malls to Prevent and Respond to Terrorist Attack, 2004 [United States]
description: Enclosed retail malls across the United States having at
least 250,000 square feet in 2004. Smallest Geographic Unit: none
description: mail questionnaireData from the survey of state homeland security
 advisers, the site visits to eight malls in the United States and two
 malls in Israel, and the analysis of state statutes regulating private
security are not available as part of this collection.