WEST NYACK ‒ The Palisades Center owners are being urged to install safety measures that could prevent suicides at the massive shopping mall.
There's been a history of jumpers at the mall. The upper floor railings and escalator areas don't have safety measures to block people from jumping.
A petition drive for better safety came in response to a 32-year-old Nyack woman jumping from an upper floor of the mall on Sunday afternoon. Clarkstown police categorized the woman's death as a suicide.
The petition drive on Change.org was started by Shannon Hardy of Pearl River, who urges mall management to add such measures at the highly trafficked shopping center.
She wrote that Sunday's death marked the 10th life lost at the mall that she was aware of in recent years.
Clarkstown police didn't immediately respond to a request for information about past suicides at the mall.
Petitioners say suicide prevention barriers could play critical role
As of Thursday afternoon, Hardy's petition had 542 signatures with a goal of 1,000.
"As a local resident, I am alarmed at the lack of safety measures at this highly trafficked setting," Hardy's petition states. "There are not adequate barriers to deter or prevent suicide attempts, a chilling fact that adds to the sorrow and grief experienced by many. According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States, and we each have a role to prevent this tragic loss of life. This is the 10th life lost at Palisades Mall in recent years.
She urged the Palisades Center and local authorities "to recognize the critical role they can play in suicide prevention."
"By implementing suicide barriers and additional safety measures, the mall can provide a significant shield against such tragic incidents," she wrote. "Not only would these changes affirm their commitment to community welfare, they would also translate into a safer, more secure environment for all visitors by discouraging tragic decisions."
The mall's marketing director, Keri Cunningham, didn't immediately respond to an email seeking comment on the petition drive.
The industrial-styled Palisades Center opened in 1998 after years of debate and is one of the nation's largest malls.
Regarding Sunday's suicide, Clarkstown police administered CPR to the woman before she was transported to Montefiore Nyack Hospital, Detective Norman Peters wrote in a news release.
He added that the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides 24/7 free and confidential support for people in distress, as well as prevention and crisis resources and best practices for professionals. Dial 988 or visit https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/.
Clarkstown supervisor: 'We support the mall doing more'
Clarkstown Supervisor George Hoehmann said Thursday that the town supports more suicide prevention measures, but noted officials cannot force a private business to act.
He said the town advocated years ago for better safety.
"It's private property and up to the mall," Hoehmann said. "We support the mall doing more."
He said the mall is too big for Clarkstown police patrols or mall security to prevent people from jumping.
"Studies show that people considering suicide thought about it within 24 hours of doing so," he said. "God only knows if people would have survived had there been measures to prevent them from trying."
He said the mall can raise the height of railings, install obstructions, and add decorative-style nets to make it more difficult for people to jump and increase their chances of survival if they do. He said other malls have taken such action.
"The mall could work on making areas harder for people to access who might be emotionally distressed and thinking of killing themselves," Hoehmann said. "We've talked about this for years."
He noted the mall has posted information on preventing suicides.
Palisades Center faces possible foreclosure
The mall was once billed as a cash cow for Clarkstown and school district taxpayers. But a recent tax settlement awarded the mall owners more than $27 million in back taxes after a court fight on the value of the property.
At the same time, the Syracuse-based mall owners face possible foreclosure as a temporary receiver has been named. Wilmington Trust continues to seek a full foreclosure ‒ the sale of the mall, right down to the fixtures, with the lenders getting the proceeds to pay off an overdue mortgage, interest, and court costs.
More: Judge appoints temporary receiver for Palisades Center as foreclosure case continues
Steve Lieberman covers government, breaking news, courts, police, and investigations. Reach him at slieberm@lohud.com Twitter: @lohudlegal
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This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Palisades Center urged to add suicide barriers after latest death
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