April 2, 2008 

On Friday, April 4, 2008, CMPD officers with the Eastway Division in conjunction with Mall Management and Security, will be conducting training at Eastland Mall. Please let your audiences know so they are not alarmed when they see the intermittent but larger-than-normal police presence in the parking lot and inside the mall.  

The training is part of a joint plan to ensure officers know the layout of the mall and are familiar with all aspects of its security. This will speed response in the event of a public safety incident on the property. Similar training has been conducted at other area malls, most recently at Northlake.  

"For us and the managers of the mall, the goal is to maximize safety and the effectiveness of any police response," said Captain Mike Smathers with the Eastway Division. "Most of our officers know the property, but the horrible active shooter events that have occurred in other parts of the country prompted us to take it this one step further," he said.   

Each shift of officers throughout the day and evening will conduct walk-throughs of the mall to ensure all officers in the division are familiar with the layout of the facility. Each walk-through will involve approximately 20-30 officers and will last about an hour.