Following February shooting, Pittsburgh-area mall announces enhanced security measures

Executives at a Pittsburgh-area mall have announced new plans to improve security in response to several violent crimes, including a February shooting that injured three people.

The Monroeville Mall plans include new cameras that monitor a larger section of the property, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported (http://bit.ly/1IKOeg8).

Lance Ivy, regional director for the mall's ownership company, said the "state-of-the-art" system will allow people working on- and off-site to monitor the footage. Ivy said the previous camera system did not save the video captured in the mall's common areas.

The moves were spurred by a February shooting that left three people injured at the mall's Macy's store.

Police said a 17-year-old opened fire at the mall, aiming at someone but wounding three bystanders. The teenager, charged as an adult with attempted homicide and other crimes, is scheduled for trial in August.

Additionally, police have re-opened an old substation in the mall, and executives have enacted a youth escort policy. The policy requires any teen under 18 to be accompanied by a parent or guardian after 6 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

Monroeville police Chief Doug Cole said he believes there has been a decrease in calls to the mall since some of the new measures went into effect.

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Information from: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, http://www.post-gazette.com