DHS signs mall property owner to public alert campaign

Under a new agreement with the Department of Homeland Security, 20 malls in Indiana and Virginia will participate in DHS’s “If you see something, say something” campaign, with possible expansion to other facilities nationwide.

Napolitano announced the partnership with Simon Property Group executive vice president for property management Tim Earnest in a blog post on the agency’s Website on Sept. 5.

Simon Property owns 393 properties worldwide, including The Town Center at Aurora retail facility located near the Century 16 movie theater in Colorado that was the scene of a mass shooting in July.

Napolitano said the partnership would take the campaign to shopping malls and retail centers across the U.S., beginning in 20 Simon locations in Indiana and Virginia and expanding to other properties in the coming months.

The company also owns regional malls, Premium Outlet Centers and The Mills operations, including the sprawling Potomac Mills mall just south of Washington D.C.  The company is headquartered in Indianapolis, IN and employs more than 5,000 people worldwide.

The agency has been steadily announcing new participants and initiatives under the program over the last several months. In August, it announced a new public service announcement with representatives from Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, National Basketball Association, National Hockey League, and National Football League.

Napolitano said in her Sept. 5 Blog post that DHS has expanded the program by partnering with cities, states, universities and private businesses, including the transportation, hospitality, retail, and sports sectors. In each sector, she said, the agency has provides materials and collaboration on advertisements to help engage and educate the public as well as those working behind the scenes. She said the partnership with the Simon Property Group would help to continue expansion of the program nationwide.