N. Chas Police review safety protocols after Northwoods Mall incident

NORTH CHARLESTON, SC (WCBD) – Northwoods Mall’s security protocols were put to the test over the weekend when an incident occurred that sent shoppers fleeing.

“The mall security now has one of our police radios. That gives us real-time information instead of going through 911 protocol. That’s what they did that day,” said Rick Keys, special operations captain for the North Charleston Police Department.

Keys said that in 2021, a direct communication channel was established with mall security following a Valentine’s Day shooting at Northwoods Mall that same year.

The mall used this method to contact police on Saturday.

“They radioed, ‘There’s something in the mall, there’s a report of a gunshot.’ However, there was no report of gunshots. Officers responded,” the captain told News 2.

Keys said there was an exchange of blows between two groups at the mall. It was initially reported that the group had drawn weapons, but Keys said police had not been able to confirm the presence of the weapons as of Thursday.

“There is work going on in the area where it started, so the cameras were off. So we don’t have any footage other than people running out the food court doors,” Keys said.

There are other security measures in place by the police, such as notifying the mall if there is a shooting in the area so the stores can close.

Shopper Monty Montgomery said he remains on alert when in Northwoods after witnessing a shoplifting incident.

“I try to stay away from the mall, and when I do go, I only go to Dillard’s,” Montgomery said.

According to the police, the procedures have proven successful over the years.

“Northwoods Mall has been through a lot over the years and they’re still here because they took the time to install new cameras, beef up security and work with us. They have police radios now, like I said,” Keys explained. “So our work with them has allowed them to stay in business and they have a pretty secure area up there and it’s a safe place. It’s probably one of the safest malls in South Carolina.”

Stacey Keating, a spokeswoman for Northwoods Mall, responded to our request for comment with the following statement.

“Our top priority is to provide a comfortable and enjoyable experience for our customers, retail partners and employees. We certainly understand the concerns of the community and our retailers when it comes to safety and we take those concerns very seriously.

Our security program is multi-faceted and includes both publicly visible and invisible measures. We employ an outside security team that monitors the interior and exterior of the property. In addition, we work closely with the North Charleston Police Department. Our state-of-the-art security camera system covers the interior and exterior of the property, and we provide the footage to local law enforcement to assist in investigating any problems on the property.

We continually evaluate our protocol and make adjustments as needed based on a number of factors.”