Safety & Security
About Us
Yorkdale Security's role is to ensure that every visitor to Yorkdale Shopping Centre has a safe and enjoyable shopping experience.
By patrolling and monitoring all areas of the shopping centre, the Yorkdale Security Team makes certain that all visitors abide by the centre's rules and regulations and conduct themselves in a manner that is conducive to a safe and secure environment.
Yorkdale Security is a proprietary Security Department and is comprised of a staff of 45 employees. The department is managed by a Security Manager, Assistant Security Manager, Security Administrator and four Security Supervisors.
The Security Department is responsible for all aspects of safety and security in the shopping centre, as well as the exterior parking facilities.
Security coverage for the shopping centre is scheduled on a 24 hour-a-day basis, 365 days-a-year.
Our store front Security Office is located at the subway end of the shopping centre. Our Security Base Station is manned by a Security Officer who is responsible for monitoring the shopping centre's C.C.T.V. camera system, receiving all incoming telephone calls, dispatching Security Officers and providing customer assistance. To directly contact the Yorkdale Security office by phone please call 416-789-9950.
Security Officers constantly patrol the entire shopping centre facility.
Security Vehicle patrols of the parking facilities around the shopping centre are conducted year-round by two marked Security vehicles.
Auto Aid Services
Yorkdale Security offers the following Auto Aid Services
Free of charge to our customers:
- Battery Boosts
- Flat Tire Service
- Escort to Vehicle
Contact Yorkdale Security at (416) 789-9950 to obtain any of these services
Safety Checklist
- Park close to your shopping destination. Let your family and friends know of your shopping plans and when you will be coming home.
- Double check your vehicle to make sure it is locked and windows are rolled up.
- Keep all shopping parcels and other valuables out of sight.
- When shopping with others, set a time and place to meet during your shopping outing. If you are shopping with children, please keep track of their whereabouts.
- Keep purses close to your body. Wallets should be kept in a breast pocket. Waist packs are also useful for keeping money in front of you while leaving your hands free for shopping.
- If you are leaving Yorkdale and someone approaches you, return to the building and contact Security. Our staff will escort you to your vehicle.
- Have car keys in hand before you get to your car. When you return to your car, be aware of your surroundings.
- If you are entering any parking lot, and you see someone you think might be a threat, stay in your car and drive away.
- If you see any suspicious activity and/or people, please notify a Yorkdale Security Officer or Customer Service representative immediately.
Safety Tips
Would Your Child Know What To Do If...
- He got lost at a shopping mall?
- A nice-looking, friendly stranger offered her a ride home after school?
- A friend dared him to drink some beer or smoke a joint?
- The babysitter or a neighbour wanted to play a secret game?
A great thing about kids is their natural trust in people, especially in adults. It's sometimes hard for parents to teach children to balance this trust with caution. But kids today need to know common-sense rules that can help keep them safe - and build the self-confidence they need to handle emergencies.
Start with the Basics
- Make sure your children know their full name, address (city and province), and phone number with area code.
- Be sure kids know to call 9-1-1 or "O" in emergencies and how to use a public pay phone. Practice making emergency calls with a make-believe phone.
- Tell them never to accept rides or gifts from someone they and you don't know well.
- Teach children to go to a store clerk, security officer, or police officer for help if lost in a mall or store or on the street.
- Set a good example with your own actions - lock doors and windows and see who is there before opening the door.
- Take time to listen carefully to your children's fears and feelings about people or places that scare them or make them feel uneasy. Tell them to trust their instincts.
At School and Play
- Encourage your children to walk and play with friends, not alone. Tell them to avoid places that could be dangerous - vacant buildings, alleys, playgrounds or parks with broken equipment and litter.
- Teach children to settle arguments with words, not fists, and to walk away when others are arguing. Remind them that taunting and teasing can hurt friends and make enemies.
- Make sure your children are taking the safest routes to and from school, stores, and friends' houses. Walk the routes together and point out places they could go for help.
- Encourage kids to be alert in the neighbourhood, and tell an adult - you, a teacher, a neighbour, a police officer - about anything they see that doesn't seem quite right.
- Check out the school's policies on absent children - are parents called when a child is absent?
- Check out daycare and after-school programs - look at certifications, staff qualifications, rules on parent permission for field trips, reputation in the community, parent participation, and policies on parent visits.
At Home Alone
- Leave a phone number where you can be reached. Post it by the phone, along with numbers for a neighbour and emergencies - police and fire departments, ambulance paramedics, and the poison control center.
- Have your child check in with you or a neighbour when he or she gets home. Agree on rules for having friends over and going to a friends' house when no adult is home.
- Make sure your child knows how to use the window and door locks.
- Tell your child not to let anyone into the home without your permission, and never to let a caller at the door or on the phone know there's no adult home. Kids can always say their parents are busy and take a message.
- Work out an escape plan in case of fire or other emergencies.
- Rehearse it with your children.
Security Officer Recruitment Standards
An applicant seeking employment with the Yorkdale Shopping Centre Security Department, for the position of Security Officer, must meet the following minimum requirements:
- Be of good moral character with no criminal record for which a pardon has not been granted.
- Provide proof of educational minimum of grade 12 and a diploma from a community college in Law & Security or Police Foundations or similar educational undertaking would be an asset.
- Provide proof of a valid driver's license with a good driving record.
- Provide proof of current First Aid and C.P.R. certificates.
- Attain satisfactory standards through various tests administered by the Yorkdale Security personnel.
- Submit a cover letter, resume, and completed application form to the address indicated on the next page.
- A valid Security License from the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services.
Essential Competencies
In today's society, the role of a Security Officer is rapidly changing. The level of professionalism and quality of persons required for this job having greatly increased in the past decade. Keeping this in mind, competencies that are important to performing the job of Security Officer have been identified.
Competencies include:
- analytical thinking
- self-confidence
- excellent communication skills
- flexibility/dealing with diversity
- self-control
- relationship building
- achievement orientation
- physical skills/abilities
- customer service orientation
- commitment to learn
- assertiveness
- initiative
- team player
Security Officer Selection Process
Application Review
Applicant qualifications will be reviewed and ranked.
Applicant Testing
Potential applicants will be contacted and offered the opportunity to complete the Yorkdale Shopping Centre Security Officer testing. The testing will be used to assist in determining a potential candidate's suitability for the position of Yorkdale Shopping Centre Security Officer.
First Interview
The purpose of this interview is to determine employment suitability. The candidate's knowledge and experience will be assessed during this interview.
Second Interview
During this stage, potential candidate's will be given the opportunity to participate in an interview to determine if the applicant possess the essential competencies for the position of Yorkdale Shopping Centre Security Officer.
Background/Reference Check
This stage is an investigative process. It is at this stage that references, which the applicant has provided, will be contacted. Please be advised that any former employers or references the applicant has provided may be contacted to verify records. Education transcripts and/or any other documents provided may be subject to verification.
Offer of Employment
Successful applicants will be offered a position with the Yorkdale Shopping Centre Security Department, subject to availability and a pre-determined probationary period. The applicant will be required to provide a clear Police record check obtained per the instructions of the employer. Failure to produce such clearance within the probationary period will result in the applicant's employment offer being terminated.
Please forward your application and resume to:
Yorkdale Management Office
1 Yorkdale Road, Suite #500
Toronto, Ontario M6A 3A1
Attention: Keith LeClair, Security Manager
