Bill Advances to Elevate Havensight Mall Security to Peace Officers

Lawmakers discuss benefits of granting peace officer status to Havensight Mall security personnel, with focus on enhancing public safety and boosting tourism

Security officers employed at the Havensight Mall may soon be promoted to peace officers as Bill 35-0238 crossed its first legislative hurdle in the Committee on Homeland Security.

The bill, sponsored by Senator Milton Potter, seeks to confer peace officer status on qualified enforcement officers employed by the Government Employees' Retirement System. It is specific to GERS enforcement officers who work as security officers at the Havensight Mall.

Mr. Potter reminded his colleagues of the need for adequate security at the location that is popular among both locals and nearly 1 million tourists annually. “Over the past two years, we've witnessed a spate of serious crimes committed at that facility,” he lamented. In 2022, a woman was shot at a Havensight Mall jewelry store during a botched robbery. In October 2023, a man was fatally shot in the mall’s parking lot.