Citycon conducts continuous systematic work to secure both safety and security in all its centres. Robberies, for example, very rarely happen in Citycon’s centres as we try to address any potential issues immediately. One of the best examples of the clear results of this work can be found at Kista Galleria, which is located in an area that has struggled with multiple safety issues.

To improve safety, Citycon took concrete actions in collaboration with its stakeholders. In less than five years, the number of robberies in Kista Galleria has declined by approximately 60%, while fire alarms leading to evacuation have dropped to close to zero. How was this made possible?

Identifying the solutions

In order to decrease the number of safety issues, high-risk stores that were most likely subject to robbery were identified. Next, Citycon held tenant meetings with the respective business owners, which resulted in the stores changing their existing shipping methods to ones that carried smaller risks.

Citycon also worked closely with the municipality as well as the police in order to improve the security outside the centre. This resulted in several actions, among them being the installation by Citycon of several drive-through protections outside the centre to prevent any possible harm.

Changing responses

A few years ago, fire alarms resulting in evacuations were a talking point at Kista’s tenant meetings. Understanding that these fire alarm incidents lowered the feeling of safety of customers and tenants, Citycon initiated a dialogue with the local fire department and invited them to visit the centre.

The fire department acquainted themselves with how the security staff at the centre were trained to respond to fire alarms. Together, the security staff and the fire department found new ways to respond to fire alarms, which wouldn’t result in the need for evacuation.

Keeping dialogue open

As the overall safety experience in Kista Galleria has increased substantially in less than five years, the feedback from Kista’s tenants and customers has been overwhelmingly positive.

The case has also been a great reminder for us of the importance of continuous cooperation with all our stakeholders. Citycon remains proactive about possible safety issues and maintains an open dialogue with the tenants to immediately address any potential issues. Citycon is also committed to keeping our tenants up to date when it comes to any future safety measures.