Mall of America offers security tour to show efforts to keep shoppers safe
Following recent gun-related incidents, the Mall of America has given an inside look at the extensive security measures in place to keep shoppers safe.
The mall’s security team, led by Mall of America Vice President of Security Will Burnham, interacts with 32 million visitors every year.
The team includes bike patrols who look out for potential vehicle theft or break-ins, uniformed officers who respond to lost children and disorderly guests, and K9 units who detect suspicious items such as explosives.
The security team invests in 500 hours of training for all officers, including verbal judo and crisis intervention, as well as medical training such as CPR and Narcan.
While talks of metal detectors have happened in the past, Burnham believes they are not a good fit for the mall’s year-round operation.
While Burnham couldn’t give an exact number, he did say that the security force is comparable in size to the Bloomington Police Department.
