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NorthPark's Surge In Robberies Has Inspired A Petition Calling For Stronger Mall Security.

NorthPark is the dreamy mall that we've all been to more times than we'd like to admit. It's the number one tourist trap in the whole damn city too.

But our luxurious little slice of capitalist paradise is being tarnished by another form of moneying up of late: Robberies.

If you aren't wholly aware, NorthPark Center has been experiencing a recent uptick in crime. Back in November, the incident that occurred just before Christmas involved a 22-year-old man being robbed at gunpoint by multiple suspects in a parking lot. Then, on January 16, a 61-year-old woman was “pushed to the ground and robbed in a parking lot by one suspect.”

The most recent event that causing a stir in the city happened just last Wednesday, on January 27. In this incident, three suspects robbed Brittany and James Atterberry in a NorthPark parking lot while their toddler was in their car. The suspects' weapon of choice was pepper spray. Brittany told NBCDFW that authorities informed her that the camera that was supposed to surveil the scene wasn't working while the robbery took place.

Some North Texans have not taken kindly to this information. Heather LeClair started up a Change.org petition that now has roughly 600 supporters, which calls for more strident attention to detail in regards to the mall's security and security systems.

To the petition's credit: It's quite baffling that an absurdly high traffic mall could screw the pooch with something as simple as a security camera. The petition also calls for an impressively bourgeois demand, even for Dallas: It wants to see an increase in security escorts, and for them to be readily available at all times, at a damn shopping mall. (Spoiler: That ain't happening.)

Anyway, this recent scare is no good, but it ain't nothing compared to what NorthPark has seen in the past. In 2007, there were 260 reported incidents at the mall. Now, that's pretty alarming, even if it's still probably not enough for an on-demand security detail — unless you're The Pope or a pop star.