Local malls look at security measures after recent incidents of violence

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Another incident of violence at a mall is raising security questions across the nation. On Monday, a brawl broke out at the Mall of America in Minneapolis. At one point, as many as 200 people were involved.

Minnesota is not alone in seeing fights break out between shoppers this holiday season. We've reported on several scuffles in our area as well, and we wondered if the recent incidents have caused local malls to look at their security measures.

Some mall workers and shoppers told Eyewitness News they're noticing more security in the malls in our area. But security isn't something many of the major malls we contacted in this area want to talk about publicly. At Greenspoint Mall, the manager told us security is keeping their eyes and ears open for potential security problems.

Houston area retail store manager Marcy Martin told us she couldn't believe the chaos at the Mall of America on Monday. She says it reminded her of the mad dash for the new Air Jordan shoes she watched at some Houston malls last Friday.

"People have gone crazy. And it's our youth," Martin said.

We called around to several local malls asking whether the images of recent mobs have managers concerned. So far, Ray Bajerano from Greenspoint Mall is the only mall manager who agreed to speak out.

"It definitely is a concern. You never want an isolated incident like that to occur on your property," Bajerano told us over the phone.

Eyewitness News was at Greenspoint as hundreds lined up to buy a pair of the new Air Jordan sneakers. And we watched as police and mall security tried keeping the eager crowd organized.

Greenspoint Mall says it's constantly reviewing security measures for customer safety.

"Over the years, we've bought, purchased some barricades, the metal ones, so we can start forming the lines. We coordinate again with the police department," Bajerano said.

No major issues were reported at Greenspoint on Friday. But Martin believes after the madness in Minneapolis, all malls should consider beefing up security.

"It should be more security. I mean a whole lot more security because you just never know what's going to happen," she said.

We have heard in addition to the mall security that some stores are hiring their own private security. Greenspoint's GM told us after the last crowd rushed this mall, he's now considering more changes for safety and security.

(Copyright ©2011 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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HISD considers drastic measures to deal with cuts

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- In Austin, the Texas Legislature will go into a special session starting Tuesday to vote on a school finance bill, and local school districts will have to wait longer to learn how big their budget gaps will be.

The Houston Independent School District is already considering drastic measures to deal with state cuts. The district currently has one of the lowest tax rates in the area and is now considering a possible tax increase. We found parents who say, even on a holiday, it's a nagging issue. "Being a teacher, I need to know what's coming up. We need to prepare just like anybody else," said teacher Blanca Flores Lopez. "I just want my kids to have a classroom with fewer students, but with the teachers being cut from some of the districts I know there's going to be an increase in class size and I'm concerned about that," said parent Katrina Johnson. Not knowing how the state will fund schools means HISD is back to square one, trying to balance their budget. The board of trustees doesn't know if state lawmakers will cut more or less from the already estimated state reduction in funding of $160 million. When the board met last Thursday, they were hopeful legislators would decide school funding. The estimated $4 billion in cuts statewide means all school districts face substantial cuts, but it is HISD, the state's largest school district, that faces losing the most. A check of several local school districts shows the pain -- Katy ISD is predicting a $50 million loss in state funding; Cy-Fair ISD anywhere from $65 to $116 million; Spring Branch ISD is expected to lose about $17.5 million; Fort Bend an estimated $74 million; and HISD has projected a $160 million loss in state funding. HISD Board President Paula Harris is pushing for one option. "Really encouraging the Governor the Lt. Governor and our Senators to push for the Rainy Day Fund," said Harris. "We'll probably adopt the budget with deficits, then after special session we'll have to go in and amend our budget." She says deeper cuts in state funding could push a vote by the board to raise taxes. HISD has the lowest tax rate among local school districts at $1.15 per $100 valuation. Katy ISD has the highest at $1.52. "We're quite obviously being penalized for our low tax rate from the state legislature. They are trying to tie our hands and we are trying to make the best for our citizens. We want to try and make the cuts fair," said Harris. (Copyright ©2011 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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