VICTOR, N.Y. – More than two million people are expected to descend on Eastview Mall this holiday season. The mall’s owner, Wilmorite is working closely with the Ontario County Sheriff’s Office to beef up safety and security measures in anticipation of the surge in shoppers. 

Going to the mall has become popular again.

“We’re at the point where we’ve surpassed our pre-COVID numbers, the number of people coming onto the property will be probably in excess of two million between Black Friday and Christmas this year,” says Mike Kauffman, general manager of Eastview Mall. “People are coming back to the malls, they obviously love the social aspect. I think the people sitting at home during Covid realized that it wasn’t all that much fun sitting at home all the time.”

Recent studies point to a younger demographic too. Shoppers Jared Isman from Brighton and Jesse Jackson from Rochester enjoy the in-person shopping experience. “I think people just miss it, that’s genuinely my only answer. I like to just come in person, I like to talk to people, I think to have that interaction,” says Isman. “It’s cool, I mean.. you’re supposed to be safe here when you shop and enjoy yourself, bring your grandkids, and have fun,” adds Jackson.

To avoid potential parking issues, Kauffman has enlisted the help of more Ontario County Sheriff’s Deputies.

“During the weekends during the holiday season the sheriff’s office provides us eight deputies that assist in a couple of key areas on the property to kind of keep the traffic moving,” Kauffman explains.

You’ll also see more uniformed deputies inside the mall and Ontario County Sheriff David Cirencione says they won’t be afraid to go after folks who are up to no good.

“Somebody who went to a jewelry store asked to look at an $8,000 piece of jewelry and then took off running with it, he (deputy assigned to the mall) actually ended up in a foot pursuit with this person, caught him outside, apprehended him and was able to recover the jewelry before it left the property,” Sheriff Cirencione recounts.

A slew of cameras both inside the mall and in the parking lots are monitored live.

“This will help us get the help to you even quicker,” the sheriff notes. 

To protect yourself, keep a close eye on your purse and wallet and put your packages in the trunk where they can’t be spotted. Also, be cautious of situations that don’t feel right, like a recent incident that happened to a woman in a nearby parking lot.

“Somebody knocked on her car window and told her that she had dropped some cash behind her car back by her trunk, she questioned it at first but then got out to check for the cash, and when she did so, a second suspect climbed into her front seat and stole her purse which had her car keys, cell phone, cash and her credit cards,” Sheriff Cirencione explains.

The suspects then rushed over to the mall to try and use her credit cards at the Apple store.

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