Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - There have been numerous policies like age restrictions after a certain time, adult accompaniment policies and bans on groups to keep things safe at places like Walden Galleria.
But after the latest incident at the mall on Sunday, what else can be done?
Former Buffalo Police Commissioner Joe Gramaglia says it's a tough balance between welcoming shoppers and keeping them safe.
"Obviously, the mall is in the business of bringing crowds into the mall to make money, obviously for shopping purposes. But you also have to have a heavy reliance on security and making sure your visitors are secured when they go there," said Gramaglia in an interview with WBEN.
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Gramaglia says investing in technology is crucial.
"You've got to invest in the various types of technologies that I think sometimes have been looked at like Big Brother-ish. That's the best way to make people safe, so that your security personnel and your police departments have the assistance of those technologies to respond faster," he said.
Gramaglia concedes not every incident can be stopped.
"Unfortunately, situations are going to happen when you bring a large number of people together, but it's also how you respond to those," Gramaglia explained. "I know the Cheektowaga Police Department has been very proactive. I've seen their patrols inside the mall in the past. So combining manpower with technology is the best way to do it."
Gramaglia adds there's a caveat to the technology, saying it has to be used for the express purpose of protecting customers on private property.
"You post proper signage, you let people know, and you don't hide technology like maybe was the idea in the past. You want people to know what's out there, so prevention is the key to security," Gramaglia said. "You want to prevent things from happening."
He adds if you make people aware of what you have, then those with the ulterior motives are not going to go there, and that's prevention.
Bryan DelPorto, former Niagara Falls Police Chief and now security director for Niagara Falls City School District, says while profiling is illegal, there are ways to keep known troublemakers out.
"In this day and age with artificial intelligence, measures that could be implemented, you could identify people with a past history of violence or criminal activity inside of the mall and ban them from a private property," explained DelPorto with WBEN.
DelPorto adds there's nothing like a live security presence at establishments like Walden Galleria.
"Sometimes police are warranted working the area. I think controlled access, like they've done, can be helpful, very difficult to do in a setting like a mall," DelPorto said.
DelPorto says there is an underlying issue in keeping the Galleria safe.
"Some of the reforms that we've seen in the criminal justice system, there's just no accountability," he said. "The uniform presence controlled access, even artificial intelligence, when there's no accountability for these teens to come in and wreak havoc and commit violent acts. Even if we identified them through artificial intelligence, it goes nowhere and no one gets charged, and there's no accountability."
A teenager is recovering after being stabbed during a fight Sunday evening near Urban Outfitters.