By Matthew K. Roy
Staff writer
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PEABODY — The successful working relationship between the management of the Northshore Mall and the Peabody Police Department was recently highlighted at a security conference organized by the mall's owner.
Earlier this summer in Boston, Simon Malls brought together more than 150 representatives of 23 local police departments from Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania, along with staff and security personnel from 26 Simon properties and experts from the FBI, Secret Service, Homeland Security and Massachusetts State Police.
Peabody police Chief Robert Champagne presented a session with Northshore Mall General Manager Mark Whiting, "Building Outstanding Law Enforcement Relationships With Mall Teams," and Simon honored Peabody Patrolman John Nelson for his more than 14 years as the department's community policing officer assigned to the mall.
"The unique collaborative partnership between the Northshore Mall and the Peabody Police Department is a true testament to the forward thinking of Peabody police Chief Champagne and the entire department's commitment," Whiting said in a prepared statement.
The partnership and the police outreach center at the mall has had a "profound impact on reducing criminal incidents at the mall and the surrounding community," Whiting added.
"Early on, Chief Champagne and the management of the Northshore Mall understood the significant positive impact that would result from close collaboration," police Capt. Dennis Bonaiuto said.
Nelson was the "ideal candidate" to work at the mall because of his strong background in community outreach, Bonaiuto said.
"His daily commitment to crime prevention has led to many innovative and creative initiatives, including the first-of-its-kind, award-winning 'Mall Watch Program,'" according to a Simon Property Group press release.
As part of the watch program, police train mall employees on security procedures and precautions. Stores are encouraged to move expensive items away from a main entrance and station employees around them, for example. Nelson has also coordinated child car seat and bicycle safety clinics.
