A sharp rise in crimes at shopping malls in KwaZulu-Natal and other provinces around the country has prompted shopping mall owners to keep shopping malls safe. Some of the crimes that shopping malls experience include armed robberies, common robberies, parking lot crimes (theft from motor vehicles), assaults, store holdups, shoplifting and property crimes. Shoppers and retailers at malls are concerned about their safety. Criminals commit crimes for numerous reasons, and the situations are always different. The purpose of this article was to assess the crime risks at these malls so that the malls can be made safe, secure and a pleasant environment for all. The Criminal Opportunity Theory served as the basis for this study. A qualitative case study design was used in this study. One-on-one interviews, observation and criminal case docket analysis were used to collect data. Nine shopping malls, 30 criminal case dockets and 30 participants were purposively sampled, based on specific criteria. The collected data were thematically analysed and interpreted. It was found that there was a great need for both violent and nonviolent crimes to be reduced at shopping malls. The study showed that security measures should be enhanced to deter potential criminals and mitigate the risk of criminal activities.

中文翻译：

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购物中心的犯罪行为：南非的视角

夸祖鲁-纳塔尔省和全国其他省份的购物中心犯罪率急剧上升，促使购物中心业主确保购物中心的安全。购物中心发生的一些犯罪包括武装抢劫、普通抢劫、停车场犯罪（机动车辆盗窃）、袭击、抢劫商店、商店行窃和财产犯罪。购物中心的购物者和零售商担心自己的安全。犯罪分子犯罪的原因多种多样，而且情况也各不相同。本文的目的是评估这些购物中心的犯罪风险，以便为所有人提供安全、可靠和愉快的环境。犯罪机会理论是本研究的基础。本研究采用了定性案例研究设计。通过一对一访谈、观察和刑事案件案卷分析来收集数据。根据特定标准，有目的地对 9 个购物中心、30 个刑事案件卷宗和 30 名参与者进行了抽样。对收集到的数据进行了主题分析和解释。研究发现，非常需要减少购物中心的暴力和非暴力犯罪。研究表明，应加强安全措施，以威慑潜在的犯罪分子并降低犯罪活动的风险。