Thompson mall says 'Figar-no' to loitering, crime

Sanuda Ranawake · CBC News

· Posted: May 03, 2025 7:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 7 minutes ago

The City Centre Mall successful Thompson, Man., has turned to playing classical euphony from a loudspeaker to deter loitering, which it says helps trim transgression successful the promenade parking lot.

"We have, unfortunately, had a execution connected the parking batch past year. We had a information defender who was hospitalized aft being deed connected the caput with a buying cart earlier we had purchased the property, and galore different amerciable activity," said Brock Rogerson, a manager with R2 Capital Partners, the institution that owns the mall. 

To forestall that, the promenade turned past November to playing a scope of classical euphony successful hopes of keeping radical from gathering successful the parking lot — a technique that has been used at different stores and malls crossed the country.

Rogerson acknowledges the promenade had to crook the measurement down aft being cited by the City of Thompson for a sound bylaw violation, but says overall, there's been a 24 per cent simplification successful reported incidents at the mall. 

The City of Thompson confirmed that it has received complaints astir the music and issued a citation for a bylaw violation.

Rogerson said the euphony is astatine a tenable level now, and that it lone plays until 8 p.m. on weekdays and 7 p.m. on Saturdays.

"When the euphony was louder, it was really much effective. In the archetypal week … that it was louder, we virtually would crook it on, there'd beryllium a radical of 20 oregon 30 people, and wrong 5 minutes they would locomotion and leave," helium said. 

But not each shoppers deliberation the euphony is simply a solution to the problem. 

Milt Gobel said he'd similar to see more semipermanent solutions to code the basal causes of crime.

He called the euphony an "interesting experiment," but said amended solutions would beryllium "proper housing, and an accidental for these folks to beryllium wherever they should be — in a harmless place."

Bradley Wickert, who lives adjacent Thompson and drives into the metropolis for shopping, said the euphony was large and obnoxious. 

"I deliberation it's a mode to support radical distant who they presume aren't paying immoderate money," helium said. "It's alternatively off-putting. I'm present to bash business, I'm present to shop, and I truly don't request to perceive that blasting," helium said.

Wickert said the music makes him privation to debar the mall, and says much information officers mightiness beryllium a amended alternative. 

Rogerson says the information of shoppers is his main concern, and that the vocal group of radical complaining about the euphony are outnumbered by those who worth nationalist safety. That's a tradeoff helium said galore are consenting to make.

"I'll archer you what [customers] 100 per cent are discouraged by, and that's carnal violence, indecent exposure, nationalist intoxication," helium said.

"We person 2 market stores astatine this mall. People should beryllium capable to get their groceries and not beryllium approached and either verbally oregon physically assaulted portion they're trying to get … their day-to-day necessities."