Destiny USA is inviting families for an easter egg hunt at the mall Sunday — when CNY Central shared this story on social media, the overwhelmingly negative response prompted us to ask whether or not owners are grappling with an image problem.
One comment read, "Bring my kid to that dump? I'll start looking for bulletproof vests on Amazon now I guess." Another reads, "Are you kidding?? Bringing kids to a 'shooting range' mall?"
CNY Central brought these comments to Thomas Yeldon, the owner and operator of Larger Than Life Toys and Comics. He said that after operating at Destiny USA for six years, he and his staff have never felt unsafe, and will frequently come back during off hours with their own families to shop at other stores.
"We've had no interactions, no crime, nothing that would cause us to be alarmed or in danger," Yeldon said.
Yeldon said that people have become hyper focused on negative events that he describes as "rare." Syracuse Police Data backs up his assertion, showing that the number of crimes officers have responded to has dropped from 613 in 2017 to 350 in 2021. In 2022, the numbers crept back up to 365. Data suggests the numbers have continue to go up in 2023, but police are looking to confirm new reports that have been added to their data bank.
"I can tell you firsthand, the mall is doing just fine," Yeldon said, whose store has enjoyed long lines and repeat customers.
After a 14 year old allegedly fired a gun at the mall last month, striking a trash can after missing people he was aiming for, Syracuse Police Chief Joseph Cecile said that the mall is considering boosting the number of Onondaga County Probation Officers and the number of people working with "Un-Bey-lievable," a newly created organization that brings together in one expanded agency two previously established program models: The Trauma Response Team (TRT) and Street Addiction Institute Inc. (SAII), headed by Timothy Jennings-Bey. This organization works to intervene with young people before a situation becomes violent.
He said the most critical move the mall made last year was to boost the salaries of off-duty police officers, matching the 1.5X pay rate of working an overtime shift for the police force. Police have declined to provide the figure; Destiny USA's PR team has not directly responded to any of CNY Central's inquiries over the past month.
Syracuse Common Councilor Chol Majok serves as the Chair of Public Safety. He said that while he is confident in what the mall has done regarding security, he believes there needs to be a response to the apparent image problem, "Perception is reality. Every parent has a legitimate concern in that area."
He said that the city needs to work with Destiny USA leadership to address the issue. As for Yeldon, he is hoping people come out to the mall to see for themselves that crime is not a constant issue for shoppers.