The Colorado Springs Police Department is changing how it communicates crime data with the military locally after a now-lifted ban on service members going to The Citadel mall.

Police Chief Adrian Vasquez highlighted the change during a panel discussion Friday afternoon attended by about 70 people at the mall inside Zeal Church. The city of Colorado Springs organized the gathering to discuss how to make the mall, located northwest of Academy Boulevard and Platte Avenue, a welcoming and safe space. The event was planned before the military ban.

Vasquez said his department will be much more detailed and indepth in their efforts to inform the military about crime trends, particularly around The Citadel mall.

“A lot of crimes are attributed to the mall that should not be attributed to the mall,” he said.

The police often classify crimes that happen near the mall, but outside it, to The Citadel. The department expects to present the data to local military officials so they can understand the trends better. Those efforts will also improve the data shared with other groups, he said.

The local Armed Forces Disciplinary Control Board relies on the data to determine if they should restrict service members from going to certain businesses. The board banned all members of the military from going to the mall in July and then lifted the ban in September after a presentation by city leadership and mall ownership. The mall is now on a three-month probation.

Earlier this week, Namdar Realty Group, the mall’s ownership announced numerous new security measures, such as new cameras and during the panel, the company’s asset manager, Kevin Chadrjian, announced additional steps. The company is working with the city on road repairs, addressing blighted properties surrounding the mall and making repairs to the city’s cameras at the large bus stop, he said. The police have also stepped up their presence to address street racing, Chadrjian said.

“Safety in the community is something that requires consistent change and adaptation,” he said.

The business of malls is also changing, shifting away from large national chains and relying more on small business to draw in customers, he said. The Citadel has vacancies, but it is also home to numerous nontraditional tenants, such as the new large church and several schools. Kids who attend Coperni 3 were playing under a large shade structure Friday afternoon outside the mall ahead of the community conversation.

In addition to revitalization efforts, City Councilwoman Nancy Henjum noted it’s important to acknowledge the harm that has taken place at the mall and the community response.

The last shooting at The Citadel was on Aug. 7. when an employee of the mall was shot in the leg and suffered non-life-threatening injuries. The shooting is now considered an accidental discharge of a firearm, said Ira Cronin, a spokesman for the police.

Before that, Teryus Thomas, 18, died in a Christmas Eve shooting that also injured three others. The suspect in the case, Josiah Brown, 22, was facing 11 charges in the shooting when he entered a not-guilty plea in July.

Men of Influence organized a rally against violence in the wake of the shooting and has since opened a location in the mall. The group is focused on preventing gang violence and since the location opened they have hosted several events that drew several hundred people, said leaders Bill Will and Dee Smith.

Both men and several panelists, including the police chief, emphasized the responsibility for ensuring safety can’t fall solely on the police because they can’t always be present.

“At the end of the day, it still boils down to the community and the way we act as a community,” Smith said.

After the formal panel, the city hosted discussions with attendees to gather ideas on improving the mall and decides on next steps.