(Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

Community safety

Local business owner calls for changes at Gateway Mall following latest break-in

Jan 6, 2020 | 5:16 PM

The owner of Stellar Gear says his store at Prince Albert’s Gateway Mall will remain temporarily closed following a break-in over the weekend.

Dana Cockwill told paNOW the break-in happened around 7:50 a.m. Saturday morning and the suspect entered the store through the ceiling roof tiles.

“It’s the third time in two years we’ve been broken into and it’s a tough pill to swallow,” he said.

Police confirmed a suspect attempted to steal several items, but was not successful. According to Cockwill, there is a window of opportunity for criminal activity at the mall. He said the mall’s doors on the parking lot roof are open at least two hours before security officers start their shift.

“That leaves lots of opportunity for everyone to come walking into the mall and do whatever they please,” he said.

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As for Stellar Gear’s future in the mall, Cockwill said he would like to open again, but added he was waiting for word from his insurance provider. All the merchandise at the Prince Albert store has for now been moved to their location in Saskatoon.

“It’s been a great store for us and hopefully we can continue doing business there but something has to change there first,” he said.

paNOW has spoken to three other businesses in the mall, who echoed Cockwill’s concerns. Meanwhile, Sharon Faul, the mall’s general manager, said she could not comment on the specifics of the mall’s operating procedures, explaining the information could be used for criminal purposes.

“What I can say is as a result of the break-in, we did a thorough analysis of the situation. That’s been completed now and it has resulted in some modifications to our operating procedures so those will be taking place immediately,” she said.

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nigel.maxwell@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell