Mall, Salvation Army Settle Dispute Over Trespassing Charges

Declaring “I’m not Scrooge,” a Northridge shopping center manager Saturday welcomed two Salvation Army bell ringers he had arrested a day earlier for trespassing at his mall.

Donald Lieberman, Northridge Fashion Center operations director, stuffed several dollar bills into a red Salvation Army kettle outside the mall and announced that bell ringers will be invited indoors for the remainder of the holiday season.

“I don’t want to be known as the Grinch who stole Christmas,” Lieberman said.

On Friday, Lieberman had placed Salvation Army Capt. John Purcell and trombone player Ray Chasse under citizen’s arrest when they set up the kettle and began soliciting donations outside the entrance to the Broadway department store.

Lieberman told the pair that shopping center policy prohibits solicitation on mall property by any group.

Purcell and Chasse were released after being briefly held by Los Angeles police on misdemeanor charges. But they vowed to challenge the mall’s ban.

When they returned Saturday, Lieberman ushered Purcell into his office. After an hour of private discussion, a compromise was reached.

Lieberman said the Salvation Army--with its bell ringers, kettle and musicians--will become an official part of the mall’s holiday program. Since they will be classified as invited entertainers, bell ringers will be able to accept donations in their kettles without violating the mall’s ban on solicitations, he said.

“It will enhance the holidays in the mall,” said Lieberman, who announced that he is dropping Friday’s trespassing charges.

Purcell predicted that Lieberman’s plan will be embraced by other mall operators who have balked at allowing Salvation Army bell ringers. He said some mall managers believe that they will be obligated to let every group in to solicit if they allow one to do so.

About $4,000 is stuffed into the typical Salvation Army kettle between Thanksgiving and Christmas Day, said Purcell, who is the corps’ San Fernando Valley commander. Those donations cover about half of the cost of holiday meals and emergency shelter that the Salvation Army provides for homeless and needy people.

The mall’s about-face was praised by shoppers, including Julie Sencer of Northridge, who said she was expecting the bell ringers to be rearrested Saturday.

“They are a part of the holidays and should be here,” Sencer said. “I wanted to go out and say something, but I didn’t want to get arrested.”

Shopper Pat Hanson of Lancaster agreed: “I think the bell ringers are a tradition of Christmas that should be kept.”

Purcell said he will meet with Northridge Fashion Center officials to pick a spot in their 155-store mall for the kettle and volunteers. He said corps singers and musicians will begin performing Thursday.

In the meantime, he said, he hopes to negotiate with the Promenade Mall in Woodland Hills and the Sherman Oaks Fashion Square, which he said are prohibiting bell ringers this year.

Fashion Square offices were closed Saturday. But Promenade officials denied that they have banned the kettles.

“We’ve always permitted the Salvation Army. We’ve been wondering why they hadn’t contacted us this year,” said Donna Marcus, the Promenade’s marketing manager.

On Saturday, bell ringers had set up their kettles at several locations where they were not welcomed last year, including Topanga Plaza in Canoga Park and various Target stores.

“This year, we now have a lot to sing about,” Purcell said.