Editor’s note: This story has been updated to clarify the ban applies to all uniformed service members around Colorado Springs. 

A decision to ban all service members in the Colorado Springs area from visiting The Citadel mall prompted questions and concerns Tuesday for a city councilwoman and small business owners in the shopping center.

Military installations ban service members from visiting businesses deemed unsafe. Some of the locations on the off-limits list are bars and nightclubs. Community members noted this ban will have a large impact across numerous shops, restaurants, schools and a newly opened church.

An Armed Forces Career Center also operates in the mall and the list exempted recruiters from the ban. The center was open Tuesday with a large sign advertising enlisting in all the branches.

Families with children and teenagers were walking by the recruiting offices in an area of the mall also home to The Catholic Center, the Korean American School and Goal High School, among other shops.

“Right now, it just doesn’t make sense to me,” said Councilwoman Nancy Henjum, of the ban.

The councilwoman said she asked the Colorado Springs Police Chief Adrian Vasquez to look into the data to determine what might be driving the concern and get it addressed as soon as possible. She also called on other top city employees to help.

A Christmas Eve shooting at the mall killed Teryus Thomas and injured two others including a security guard. It was the last significant event Henjum and the business owners could recall. Since then, several community forums on safety have been held and Henjum sees positive momentum.

Fort Carson, which issues the list, did not provide a specific reason for making The Citadel off-limits, saying that in general a board of officials examines police data and businesses are made off-limits after all alternative remediation options are exhausted.

Concerns include but are not limited to “alcohol and drug abuse, unfair commercial or consumer practices, liquor violations, disorder and lack of discipline, and racial and/or discriminatory practices,” the base said in a statement.

Army policy states naming a location off-limits is meant to “prevent service members from being exposed to or victimized by crime-conducive conditions.”

Chief Vasquez said in a community forum earlier this year the mall manager has been supportive of building partnerships with the police and had the mall assessed for environmental changes that could deter crime.

Henjum said she hoped that the military officials who made the decision would reconsider because the ban would stop the current positive momentum and have an enormous negative economic impact.

“To just outright ban a giant swath of our local population from being at the mall — it’s horrible,” she said.

In addition to city officials, Henjum said she spoke with the management company of The Citadel about getting involved to address the issues and a representative seemed interested.

“I am personally trying to turn this crisis into an opportunity,” she said.

A heart-breaking day for retired Army chaplain

Retired Army Chaplain Jody Harlow, the owner of a mall-based taekwondo and jiujitsu training center, said he had already heard from about half of his 60 to 70 families saying they can no longer participate in classes because of the ban.

“It’s been heartbreaking today, it really has,” he said.

Harlow started the business called the Academy of Life and Leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic to try to the address youth suicide and teach life skills such as leadership. Families also often train together, he said.

“I put everything I own into my business,” he said.

He is weighing options that could allow him to continue serving military families, but he also does not see the safety concerns at The Citadel that would trigger a ban.

“I don’t see anything different at this mall I don’t see at other places,” said Harlow, who also works security at the mall.

To help increase security, individual businesses like his have put up additional security cameras, he said.

‘Put us in a choke hold’

Long-time barbershop owner Donelle Branch said even a Fort Carson deployment or out-of-town training has an impact for the mall, and a ban will be devastating for numerous small businesses, such as his, Reverb/K.O. Kuts.

“This mall was already struggling,” he said. “They just put us in a choke hold.”

The mall employs security guards multiple days a week to help deter crime.

“They are acting like this is just the wild wild west in this mall and it’s not,” he said.

Both business owners hoped the Army would reconsider its decision and that officials would visit the mall for themselves.

Fort Carson said in its statement that businesses made off-limits are granted the opportunity to respond and appear before the board to have an open discussion about mitigation efforts before they are added to the list.

Businesses are placed on the list if they do not address the areas of concern and an investigation reveals no improvements took place, the statement said.

Businesses and establishments can express their concerns through the Directorate of Emergency Services at 719-526-1453.