Manned guarding is an essential aspect of mall security. But centres are involving another set of eyes and ears: those of the retailers themselves.

This month’s publication of the Retail Crime Survey 2009 has revealed the true impact of recession on UK crime levels

On April 7 2008, Andrew Ibrahim, a former public schoolboy who converted to Islam, carried out a reconnaissance trip to the Mall shopping centre in Broadmead, central Bristol. During his time there, Ibrahim is reported to have wandered around making notes on his mobile phone, apparently recording the locations of rubbish bins and timing how long it would take to walk between them. On July 17 this year, the 20-year old A-level chemistry student was found guilty of planning a terrorist attack on the Bristol shopping centre. The evidence against him was overwhelming – Ibrahim had been watching videos of extremist preachers and suicides on the internet and at his home a half-finished suicide vest was found.

As crime levels rocket as a result of the recession, CCTV remains one of the key weapons in a shopping centre's arsenal, as Hannah Prevett discovers

Security teams need to up their game during the downturn, discovers Hannah Prevett

With the ever-present threat of terrorist action, of which we have seen examples only too recently, planning for the unexpected forms part of the essential management of any large site or building, in particular where considerable numbers of people may be gathered.

Croydon in south London is officially the worst location for stock loss or 'shrinkage' caused by theft, according to the Retail Loss Prevention Fashion Forum.

Having been retained by Guarding UK in March to assist in growing their business in the shopping centre and related markets, I took a pace back to investigate what people in all parts of the shopping centre industry - operators, managers and owners - really want from a security provider.

Security at the Elephant & Castle shopping centre in south-east London has improved in leaps and bounds over the last four years, thanks to the high level of commitment from centre manager Mike Knell and the centre's dedicated security team.

The bomb explosion at Princesshay in Exeter this May was another reminder to the shopping centre industry that retail businesses are at risk from terrorism.

They're known as the Coventry Falcons. They're not a football team; they're not rugby players. Their game is stealing people's identities from offices. They look very presentable, wear jackets and ties, perhaps. But they will sneak into your business, dip into unattended handbags and jackets, and take purses and wallets. Leaving your premises, they clone the credit cards using equipment in their vehicle.

A marked improvement in the quality and provision of security services has been reported by shopping centre managers following the regulation of the private security industry in the UK.

According to the police, some 80 per cent of CCTV footage is of such poor quality that it cannot be used as admissible evidence in the event of a prosecution. Clearly, it would be extremely costly to install high resolution cameras throughout a shopping centre, but at the same time, only having access to poor quality images instantly negates a vital function of CCTV: the positive identification of suspects.

New forms of retail crime, an evolving terrorist threat and the changing nature of shopping centres themselves all mean that retail schemes are having to constantly review their security.

Choosing the right CCTV system can be a minefield for shopping centre managers as technology continues to evolve.

A Happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year is something we all wish for at this time of year, but statistics prove it's going to be anything but. False alarms triggered by stray festive trimmings placed too close to sensitive security detectors are going to test the patience of over-stretched and under-resourced police officers.

Ensuring you have a good communications system in your shopping centre is important. If retailers, security officers and centre management remain in constant contact, then incidents such as shoplifting, lost children or violence can be dealt with quickly and efficiently, without delay.

Town centre-wide security communications systems are a common tool for combating crime in the UK, enabling retailers, shopping centre owners and the police to work side by side towards a common goal.

In the current climate, security has an essential role to play in protecting our safety, assets and ultimately our freedom to go about our daily lives. In spite of this the appointment of a security provider is becoming more and more price-led, to the detriment of the security industry and you, its customers.

With terrorism in the country here to stay, retailers and shopping centre managers are having to up their security in a bid to keep consumers visiting the shops. But the key to preventing terrorist attacks is firstly to attempt to understand terrorism.