COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- Police receive more than 300,000 calls for service each year, but have you ever wondered where those calls are coming from and what they're for?
FOX21 News reporter Danielle Leigh met with police to compile a list of the top 25 places officers are called to the most.
Leigh removed intersections from the list due to traffic accidents, as well as locations commonly used to report crimes that occur elsewhere. One example would be a hospital.
Readers may be surprised to learn which locations in Colorado Springs receive the most calls for police service.
Following is what some people in the community guessed.
"Southside of the Springs, probably the communities I would think," says Laura Vanhees.
"Right here, downtown," says Carol Vondrasek.
"I'd probably say a park," says John DeJohn.
"There's that hotel on S. Nevada, the Chief or something like that," says one man who wished to remain anonymous.
"Maybe Cowboys or Rumbay," says Vondrasek.
A close guess--both Rumbay and Acacia Park made the list, but were far behind the top two.
The correct answer is the Citadel Mall. So far this year police have responded to more than 747 calls at the mall, an average of more than two calls for service a day.
"I would think it would be a neighborhood," says Vanhees.
"Citadel Mall, yeah, I could see that, just the mall, lots of people running around, lots of younger people," says DeJohn.
"I think more of police calls being violent or response to violence," says Vanhees.
Actually, Security Manager Nathaniel Guy told FOX21 News the nearly 1,000 calls are more often for reasons ranging from shoplifting, parking lot thefts to medical emergencies, than violent crimes.
"I didn't know that. That's interesting," says one man.
Interesting, but really not surprising considering between nine and 10 million people shop at the Citadel each year.
So per capita, the mall actually has a crime rate of less than one percent.
"Correct, correct, when you have that many people coming through your shopping center, less than one percent. I think that's a pretty good number in a ratio," said Guy.
The shopping center houses 150 stores plus four department stores.
"All of those stores place calls to police to handle their own needs," said Guy.
So far this year Dillards has called police at least 86 times, Macy's 139 times, and JC Penney's 155 times. Calls to police coming from everywhere else in the mall totaled 367.
Numbers two, three, and four on the list were all from Wal-mart.
The Wal-mart on E. Platte Avenue had 450 calls for service, the one on 8th Street had 299, and the one on Space Center Drive had 284.
The Wal-mart on Razorback Road made the list as well at number 12, with 172 calls.
"Wal-mart seems like your middle age older clientele. That feels pretty safe. So I wouldn't think that would be a high crime area," says Vondrasek.
FOX21 News spoke to Walmart Spokesperson Dan Fogleman over the phone.
"Safety and security is a top priority for walmart, nothing is more important," he said. "Every retailer has to deal with the fact that crime occurs. It's a community-wide issue."
When asked why Wal-mart saw more crime than other similar retailers, Fogelman told FOX21 News he didn't know, but that the millions of people who shop at their stores and in certain circumstances the location may play a role.
"When you say Wal-mart, that's more shoplifting. It's too bad there's that many people that feel the need," says Vanhees.
Both shopping centers have extensive security measures in place to combat just how many people feel the need, such as security cameras, guards, and strategic lighting.
"Our presence deters crime and that's one of our goals, but if it turns into criminal activity we want to bring in the professionals. Security, we are here to help in any way that we can," says Guy.
Overall both shopping centers say they are safe places.
Security personnel for both Wal-mart and the Citadel Mall ask that if shoppers ever do feel uncomfortable to please ask for a security escort.
Click on the movie camera/video icon to view the segment as it aired on FOX21 News.
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