The job of a mall custodian is much more complicated than you think, here’s what they want you to know.
1- Don’t call us “mole police”
With respect to the representative Paul Blart, we hate the term “mall cop,” we prefer the term “security officer,” and, frankly, we’re sick of movies that portray us as assholes who hate being constantly on the job. Remember, we are often the first responders to shootings, kidnappings, fires, and other emergencies.
2. It is a dangerous profession.
Every year, between fifty and a hundred American security officers, are killed in the course of their work. In 2015 specifically, nearly two-thirds of these deaths were the result of attacks or other acts of violence.
3- We are not as strong as police officers:
However, we have much less power than them. For example, most of us cannot arrest you.
Yes, we can detain you, but only if we see you have committed an offense or we have conclusive evidence that you have committed a felony.
4- We let shoplifters get away with it sometimes:
Many mall owners won’t let us stop or search a customer unless we witness the crime, partly because they need hard evidence, but also because they don’t want us to make trouble.
5- Ask us:
No matter the extremes, on most days we are more like watchmen than cops. Customer service is a big part of the business, so go ahead and ask us where the food section is.
6- Do you have a problem with your car?
Maybe we can help you charge a flat battery, or fix a flat tire. We can also take you for a ride or watch video surveillance of the car park if you can’t find your car. Once upon a time, one of my colleagues took a customer home.
7- Do not leave items on your car seat:
When we investigate parking lot burglaries, nine out of ten cases involve the customer leaving something on the seat, whether it’s a wallet, a computer, or a high-end shopping bag.
If you don’t want your car to be stolen, don’t leave valuables in plain sight; Thieves roam parking lots looking for items to steal.
8- Pay attention to your child.
We spend a lot of time dealing with lost children. Do not send children under the age of eight to get items from another section of the store or mall, because they will easily get distracted and lost.
9. Teach your children to find us.
Expert tip: Reassure your kids that you will never go to your car without them.
You wouldn’t want them to leave the mall and start looking for you in the parking lot, so teach your kids to ask any employee wearing a name badge if they need help finding you.
10- You won’t believe what goes on in the locker rooms:
We deal with people going to the bathroom and having sex, and one time a man in men’s clothes entered and left with a wig and a dress on! Underneath the dress, he was wearing several layers of stolen clothes.
11- Not all mall security elements are the same:
While many of us are either ex-military or retired police officers, 22 states do not have sufficient requirements to train unarmed security guards, according to the Pew Research Center.
Some guards get 48 hours of training; Others get half that or less.
One of the guards says: The training I underwent was “read this and sign it”.
12. Some of us are only hired to be fronts.
Having someone in uniform in malls prevents crime and makes shoppers feel safer. But it may also allow the positioning owner to escape insurance costs.
13- We may kick you out of the mall if your pants are too short:
Some malls prohibit clothing that is indecent or contains violent words or symbols associated with gangs.
Before you argue with us, remember that we don’t write the rules, we just apply them.
