After a recent purse snatching situation at Edison Mall, some shoppers told Four in Your Corner they felt unsafe shopping there.
Over the last few months, there have been two burglaries and an armed robbery near the Edison Mall, but the most recent incident happened on mall property when a woman was battered to the ground for her purse.
Mallory Alexander, 16, said instances like that are the reason her parents don't let her go to Edison Mall after dark.
She said she thinks the safety of the mall has gone downhill over the years.
"It's just very scary because I love this mall but there's some places at the mall where I can park and can't park because I would go around somewhere and there'd be gangs there and like, violence," Alexander said.
"Personally, knock on wood, I have not had anything happen to me, but it probably does need a lot more security," shopper Oscar Cortes said.
Cortes said some criminals can't be stopped, no matter how many officers are present.
While Fox 4 was at Edison Mall, security guards were circling regularly, but Cortes said they should try to step it up.
"It's getting to a point where you have to watch your back everywhere you go," he said.
oscar cortes says some criminals can't be stopped no matter how many officers are around.
while we were at edison mall... security guards were circling regularly... but cortes says they should try to step it up.
Four in Your Corner reached out Edison Mall's management for their response to the security concerns.
The General Manager sent us this statement:
“Our top priority is the safety of our shoppers, retailers and their employees. We are fully cooperating with the Fort Myers Police Department as they investigate this isolated incident. We urge anyone with information about the man captured on the surveillance video to contact the Fort Myers Police Department at 239-321-7700 or call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS.”
Meanwhile, Cortes said he's not going to let any violence keep him from stepping out to shop.
"I don't think people should stop going to their favorite stores because of some - excuse my language - idiots that just don't want to get a real job," he said.
The Edison Mall purse snatcher is described as a 20-30 year old man who drove away in a black Pontiac.
If you have any information, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS.
Other shoppers point to the areas around the mall as the problem.
The Hooters nearby has been broken into twice in the last two weeks, and an armed robbery took place at the 7-Eleven close by in January.
