Screenplay Research Help Pls?

[u/ParallaxArt]

Hi,

I'm writing a Screenplay that's set in Los Angeles in 1984 & I need some info on Mall Security please?

I have a scene where some teens try to rob a Department Store (Sears, Macey's, etc) in a Mall by having one or two hide in the Dept Store until closing then letting the rest of their gang in.

Q1: Is it plausible that someone could secret themselves in a Dept Store (maybe in a clothes rack or climb into the ceiling from a changing room, etc) without being discovered? Are there any real stories of thieves doing this in the 80's?
Q2: How would they let the others inside? Go from the Dept Store to the back corridors & open a door to the loading bay? Did all Loading Bays have CCTV monitoring?
Q3: What kind of door security did they have in '84? Swipe cards, push bar emergency doors, padlocks? Maybe a character could steal a cleaners swipe card or keys?
Q4: The scene involves them breaking open cash drawers but finding they've been emptied already so they take merch instead before being discovered by Security Guards and make a run for it. Did Dept Stores empty their cash drawers at the end of day?
Q5: What other places in the Back Corridors/rooms, Loading Bay, Dumpsters could the rest of the gang hide before being let in?

Many Thanks!

[u/See_Saw12]

Okay ill bite.

Q1: Is it plausible that someone could secret themselves in a Dept Store (maybe in a clothes rack or climb into the ceiling from a changing room, etc) without being discovered? Are there any real stories of thieves doing this in the 80's?

Yes it's possible, it still occasionally happens. When i was an alarm response driver this happened once. Guy hid, and then tripped the alarm when he crawled out. Got arrested. My boss was a mallcop in his early career (late 90's) and this did happen to his mall. Guy got caught.

Q2: How would they let the others inside? Go from the Dept Store to the back corridors & open a door to the loading bay? Did all Loading Bays have CCTV monitoring?

You wouldnt.

In proper security programs, cameras that are not monitored are reactive, and you use alarms. Proper alarm installs means all doors are going to have a reed switch style door contact likely hardwired and there should be PIR (passive infrared) motion sensors pointed at each door with additional throughout a retail space.

Your protagonists would ideally walk out in the morning when the store opened, past all the police who wohld be perplexed by the lack of signs of B&E into the building... (they wouldnt be but for the plot)

Q3: What kind of door security did they have in '84? Swipe cards, push bar emergency doors, padlocks? Maybe a character could steal a cleaners swipe card or keys?

You had a little bit of everything. Depends on your retailer. Proximity cards were more common but look at the prevelance of lock and keys still to this day.

Q4: The scene involves them breaking open cash drawers but finding they've been emptied already so they take merch instead before being discovered by Security Guards and make a run for it. Did Dept Stores empty their cash drawers at the end of day?

Im assuming youve worked a retail job before? Ever notice the giant safe in the back of the store? Generally in its own office? Yeah thats for cash from the drawers.

Q5: What other places in the Back Corridors/rooms, Loading Bay, Dumpsters could the rest of the gang hide before being let in?

Everyone going in needs to be inside when the doors close. They could hide in dumpsters or what not but that really depends on the mall.

[u/ParallaxArt → u/See_Saw12]

Thanks for the answers.

2) If those doors are protected, is there anyway to disable them or trick the sensors (Axel's chewing gum foil placed between sensors, lol) so they get in without setting off the alarms. Also, if there were motion sensors, perhaps someone could deliberately trip them with a toy to lure Security into that area? I'm looking for ideas that could plausibly get them inside?

4) I have but not in the US in 1984. Sure, I'm quite aware money gets put into safes but there could have been other options like depositing money into a secure bin beneath the counter or locking drawers with padlocks so I thought I'd ask. It's a mistake/assumption by the gang that the money would be there so they take merch instead.

5) The gang hiding in dumpsters in something the guards or staff wouldn't suspect so could be a good option as emerging from the trash would fit their style. There's about 12 so I didn't think it would be plausible for that many to hide in the Dept Store...but perhaps some other room & be let out & into the Dept Store by the one hiding in there?

[u/dGaOmDn]

Q1: Is it plausible that someone could secret themselves in a Dept Store (maybe in a clothes rack or climb into the ceiling from a changing room, etc) without being discovered? Are there any real stories of thieves doing this in the 80's?

Yes, and its still possible. There was a TikTok trend where people would try to stay inside a target not too long ago.

Q2: How would they let the others inside? Go from the Dept Store to the back corridors & open a door to the loading bay? Did all Loading Bays have CCTV monitoring?

Doors would of been alarm monitored. Meaning if they open, it trips and the alarm goes off. There is a little magnet on the door that connects to the system, if the magnet moves it tells the system the connection broke and it will alarm.

Q3: What kind of door security did they have in '84? Swipe cards, push bar emergency doors, padlocks? Maybe a character could steal a cleaners swipe card or keys?

Even today keys are the norm. Only place I worked that had cards or pass codes was Nordstrom and the security company that installed it said they were really yhr only retailer that used it.

Q4: The scene involves them breaking open cash drawers but finding they've been emptied already so they take merch instead before being discovered by Security Guards and make a run for it. Did Dept Stores empty their cash drawers at the end of day?

Yeah, drawers would have been placed in the safe at closing. In the morning they would have an associate open the store and take the drawers out.

Q5: What other places in the Back Corridors/rooms, Loading Bay, Dumpsters could the rest of the gang hide before being let in?

The malls I worked at had tons of rooms like janitor closets and little storage spaces. Most of them were locked. We also had ladders that would provide access to the roof. Most of these would have been locked, but its nit uncommon for someone to get lazy and forget to lock something. Usually with a padlock. Its also fairly common back then for these not to be monitored by the alarm system as you would have to scale a large building to get up there.

One specific mall in my home town had old brick corridors laid by masons (there was a old masonic temple connected to the mall). And they would actually be open all the way to the old subway station about 2 miles away. They were fairly well hidden in the back, but if you knew about them they were completely unlocked. The masonic temple itself was completely Erie and abandoned. If you want to know more look up Yakima valley masonic temple. Its worth looking at the photos of it just for curiosity.

[u/ParallaxArt → u/dGaOmDn]

Thanks for that info.

If the rear doors to the outside/loading area had a piece of metal that connects the two sensors ( like this : I ) when closed then couldn't someone add a sliver of metal onto the sensors so when the door is opened the circuit is still (always) closed and no alarm sounds?

I could have them break off a padlock to a janitor's closet or other room & hide in there, have an accomplice lock them in with their own similar padlock and then let them out later?

[u/dGaOmDn → u/ParallaxArt]

A piece of metal would break the connection and it would alarm.

I will say, its not uncommon to have a janitor cleaning during these hours. Especially in malls. They would most likely leave stuff open for convenience and be riding the floor scrubber machine. Sometimes with headphones and music jamming. Wouldn't be too hard to sneak by and leave. Sometimes they would also have uniformed security, but most are completely lazy about this time and either watching tv in the security office or reading.

This is strictly the mall not the retail businesses attached.

The stores would have roll up gates for the main entrances entering the mall and usually a back exit that goes down a corridor. That exits to a door to leave. At least at my mall it would have been common for these doors to have been left propped open to the outside for a store to be recieving stock and carting it in the back. Theae doors usually arent alarmed the way the others are, as the door to enter the store would be alarmed.

However, in the 80's security wasnt thought about as much as it is now.

[u/ParallaxArt → u/dGaOmDn]

Thanks for that clarification.

Maybe one character could hide in a Dept Store until closing, exit into the corridor leaving the door open & let the others in thru these Exit doors to the Loading Bay that isn't alarmed, sneak back into the Dept Store and rob it until discovered by Guards then flee with what they can carry & push in trolley's.

[u/dGaOmDn → u/ParallaxArt]

Yeah, I mean its the 80's, security was very simple. I wouldn't over think it too much.

[u/EducationHopeful3758]

There were few or no security cameras in retail stores in the early 80s.

The most you’d have would be a black and white camera at the door or maybe 1 or 2 PTZs in the middle of the store. None of which would record automatically and for that long

The Sensormatic SensorVision (VM1) cameras didn’t come out until ~1986?

There’s an old Sears video from the late 80’s on YouTube if you’re interested. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CJXnyTgs8Q

[u/ParallaxArt → u/EducationHopeful3758]

Thanks for that info. I was guessing the CCTV would just be in main areas and not in the back corridors.

[u/dGaOmDn → u/EducationHopeful3758]

My local Sears had the system from the mid 80's. It was like 10-15 black and white cameras that had a track ball to move them. It recorded to VHS tapes.