Complaint Review: AMC Movie Theater & Veststar Property Management

SECURITY VIOLATIONS

When I started at AMC movie theater back in May of 2000, employees and patrons were reporting frequent car thefts and break-in problems in the parking lot all around the AMC theater. AMC Management instructed us not to park in the front of the building because that's where customers park. Employees must park in the rear. Assuring us there are plenty of security guards and cameras in the rear of the building.

I was always leery about driving my car to AMC. Through the year and 3 months I was employed with AMC, I had heard of over 100 different break-ins and actual car thefts. Many of the break-ins to the cars were not even reported to the police. Customers had come to the management of the theater to complain.

Customers, whose vehicles were broken into, would always ask us if our video cameras might have picked up any evidence. Management would instruct us to tell the customers it would be looked into, but that was a lie. The theater never looked into anything. As an assistant manager I knew what was going on.

Several employees who had there cars broken into or stolen from AMC. Bryan, Trevor, Pat, Erica, Justin, Curtis, and myself. James. We complained for months about the security in the court yard just standing around not doing anything about the break-ins.

Managing Director for AMC Theater's Brian Cupery said many times he would speak to Tina at Veststar, the owners and the management of the property. No results ever came from our complaints. Either Brian never really called Veststar or Veststar never responded.

The night my car was broken into, June 28 (a Thursday night between 8:45 and 9:00 PM) I was watching a screening at AMC, when a fellow employee, Bryan, came and found me and told me my car was broken into and that he also discovered his car was stolen. Employee Bryan's Miller's car was found 1 week later with heavy damage to the steering column. His insurance paid for all his problems but my insurance did not cover me because I only have liability. I asked AMC Managing Director Brian Cupery about AMC helping me replace my window that was smashed and help with replacing my personal belongings. He told me no, it's tough luck.

When the incident happened, I called the police and wanted to file a report. They sent an officer out to talk to the young man who's car was stolen, but the officer told me to go home, I was a low priority and someone would call me that night. I told the officer that there was a video tape from the security camera showing who had stolen Bryan's Byron's the car, but the police officer was not interested, stating, it's not important. He acted like he really didn't care. When the officer had called that evening to take my report, he said the video was important.

When I asked why the officer did not help me when I was there. The officer on the phone, Veronica O'Shaunessy, #12109, told me there were 6 total break-in's that night at that location and the officer was probably being lazy about the issue. I asked about finger prints and she said they should have taken them because they opened my door to enter my car. She told me they would have a crime unit meet me at work the next night to finger print my car. I showed the two officers who came out to finger print my car the video tapes from that night for evidence (another thing the first officer cared nothing about). To this day, I have heard nothing about my incident from the police or anyone I complained to.

Long before my car was broken into, out of concern for patrons and other employees, I ventured over to talk with a security guard on several occasions. On one occasion I asked a security guard why there were so many car break-ins and car thefts. I explained that we have a lot of customers complaining, can you please tell me what is going on? The security guard stated, "Hey man, what do you mean?" I then asked, why do the security guards always hang out only in front of the theater talking with the chicks. He said, "I had been told by my security company (Metro Graffiti) that the building management does not want us to patrol around the building, to stay only in the front courtyard where customers could see us." I find this very upsetting, because upper management at AMC, my employer, assured me and other employees, the parking lot is safe and secure because there is security all around the building and we have our cameras, which are useless, for reasons I will explain.

I would have never left my personal belongings in my car if I had known the truth. The security cameras are not a good enough quality that you could ever see clearly who committed a crime. If they were a good quality, the perpetrators could be apprehended and I would more than likely get my belongings or they would be arrested and I would be able to get restitution.

I worked hard for this company for over a year. I and other employees put their trust in this very big company. So did the many patrons who fell victim to the lax and shoddy management at AMC and the property management.

I feel deceived and mislead to say the least. I have no way of replacing my belongings. Since I was in the middle of moving to a new apartment, I had over $5,000 worth of my property stolen. I did not know until later my father even had his tools in the back of my car worth about $2,200.

This is a list of stolen items and damage:

1.) Two Pioneer 6x9 inch speakers $140 for pair
2.) Two 6x9 inch boxes $40 each or $80
3.) 300 various cds valued at $4,500
4.) Car window $225.00
5.) Switch for car window that was damaged $30.00, $50.00 labor from mechanic, Total $80
6.) Fossil watch stolen out of cup holder $75.00
7.) Oakley sunglasses (Titanium style E-wires) valued at $275.00
8.) Nikon F Camera $ 425.00

Total $5,800.00 damage and stolen.

Plus about $2,200.00 for my Dad's tools.

Grand Total $8,000

I feel that AMC Theaters and the property Management Veststar are responsible.

Again, I was also assured by my employer there is plenty of security. A lie.

The management company for this very successful property is gigantic and has known about the thefts for a long time. Nonetheless, they only have, still to this day, maybe 2 or 3 security guards at one time watching over what must be about 50 acres of parking lot and about one half million square feet of retail buildings.

As an invitee onto the property there is a responsibility / legal duty to assure the premises are safe. Keeping security guards up front creating the illusion so the customers can see them giving a false feeling of security. This is nothing more than a ruse.

I hold both AMC and Veststar responsible. I will not seek the standard course of action with lawyers until I collect many more victims. I will get police records and gather as many victims as I can. For now, I will be exercising my first and 14th amendment rights by handing out copies of this rip-off report and other flyers warning patrons of the various hazards and deception when entering the property.

HEALTH CODE VIOLATIONS
On another note, as a warning to AMC customers. Many people have complained they got sick from the food at the theater's food concession. One of several reasons could be is that the hot dogs are not cooked properly. The hot dogs are never 140 degrees when served. Upper Management says to just serve them if they look ready. Employees have tried to tell management they were not ready, but management has insisted they are ready, only worrying they will loose food sales.

Another reason customers and employees have gotten sick might be that there is a big problem with mice. Mice droppings are often found in the food where it is stored. Customers have complained about mice running across the floor while watching a movie.

James