Fresno mayor, police chief want changes for mall. Here’s what they want
Fresno Police Chief Paco Balderrama and Mayor Jerry Dyer pledged changes to policing around Fashion Fair Mall on Monday following a high-profile stabbing.
Both city leaders stressed the mall has always been and will continue to be safe, but noted even rare instances of violence can leave residents with the perception that they will be safer by staying away from the mall.
“We want people to feel safe. The perception is that violence is up because of some high-profile incidents,” Balderrama said. “We’re going to do everything we can to make them feel safe in this community.”
The latest violence happened around 6:20 p.m. Saturday inside the mall and just outside of the JCPenney store, according to police.
Police initially reported there were two victims of a stabbing in the brawl in the mall’s walkway. Balderrama said Monday only one teen was stabbed — in the armpit — while the other suffered a concussion in the melee.
Police said they arrested Prophet Hillard, 27, of Fresno on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon. He was found hiding in a mall restroom, police said.
Other violence in the mall
There have been at least three incidents at the mall in the past year that drew media attention.
Earlier this month, police had to shut down one of the entrances to the mall after a group of teens approached a 16-year-old to demand for his belongings, then pulled out a gun on him, police said.
There also was an altercation inside the mall almost a year ago when shots were fired during a confrontation among patrons and part of the mall was evacuated, police said.
Two Fresno police officers also shot a suspected car thief in August as he fled in a car, saying he was a danger to them as he drove toward them, according to police.
Recent months have also seen violence at Ruth’s Chris Steak House and Bowlero. While neither location is at Fashion Fair, both drew attention.
Balderrama stressed that violence is not common at the mall, which sees 600,000 visitors a month. He also said there were seven officers at the mall at the time of Saturday’s brawl and stabbing, noting some were working the mall and others were there for unrelated reasons.
But to reinforce confidence from the community, he said, he has a meeting scheduled with mall representatives to come up with a new plan.
He said the mall contracts to pay for two officers on site during business hours. Many businesses across the city contract to have a Fresno officer on site.
“I’m going to ask them to increase their contract to a minimum of at least three officers at the mall during peak hours and weekends,” he said during a news conference Monday. “Paid for by them. I don’t have extra officers to be giving to the mall.”
He said he’ll also ask the mall for 24/7 access to surveillance cameras.
Dyer, too, spoke at the news conference held inside the Fresno Police Department’s media room, where Dyer spoke at regularly in his 18 years as chief of police.
Dyer had tweeted he was “extremely disturbed” about the incident shortly after it happened. Monday he doubled down on plans to beef up police presence at the mall.
“No person, regardless of where they’re shopping, should have to shop in fear,” he said. “Historically Fashion Fair Mall has been a very, very safe location to shop, and it still is today.”
Both the chief and mayor said they will meet this week with the mall’s leadership about potential efforts to turn away gang members from the mall before they enter.
Dyer said officials will discuss what clothing, tattoos or other signs they can use to determine who is a gang member.
“What we do know is that whatever policy is in place, it has to be consistently enforced throughout,” he said. “We’re not going to do anything to subject (Fashion Fair) to liability, but at the same time there is a balance to make sure the right people are at Fashion Fair and they are there for the right reasons.”
This story was originally published March 14, 2022 at 12:02 PM.
