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Parents' Guide to

Mall Cops: Mall of America

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 11+

Mall cops bust drunk patrons and shoplifters in dull docu.

TV TLC Reality TV 2010
Mall Cops: Mall of America Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Community Reviews

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age 11+

Based on 3 parent reviews

Supyall
Supyall Parent of 9 and 14-year-old
June 21, 2015
age 9+

Ok for some kids

I think they bleep out a lot and don't have a lot of bad things little bit of violence but nothing cod like.
homeofplay
homeofplay Parent of 3, 9 and 11-year-old
June 17, 2014
age 18+

Weird.

I live in St. Paul, so MOA is ten minutes away. I find this show to be false and untrue. We love Mall of America.
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

MALL COPS: MALL OF AMERICA is a reality series that follows security officers as they patrol America's largest shopping mall. Cameras follow folks like the Director of Security Doug Reynolds, Sergeant Ashley Rowe, and officers like Beau Johnson and rookie Kyle Maitrejean as they question curious looking shoppers, confront drunk patrons, and assist people with medical emergencies. With the assistance of Bloomington, Minnesota police officers, they also attempt to rein in alleged shoplifters and other potentially threatening individuals.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3 ):
Kids say (4 ):

The show's overall goal is to legitimize the work that security officers perform in order to make the giant shopping center a safe place to visit. In order to do so, it attempts to make mundane events (like walking through the corridors on a busy day) appear more exciting than what they are. The mall cops also seem to target people that simply look and/or act differently than the mainstream rather then looking out for real security risks.

While what these officers are doing is clearly important, there are moments when they just seem to be trying too hard to be taken seriously. Their inability to cite people for anything beyond trespassing without the help of the local police doesn't really help their image either. Bottom line? Viewers looking for a bit of police reality thrill should keep shopping around.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about mall cops. What are some of the stereotypes about security guards in malls and shopping centers? How does the media contribute to these stereotypes? Do you think this reality series will help eliminate them?

  • What is shopping in the Mall of America really like? Did you know that people come from around the world to visit this mall? Why do you think that is? Do you think this is why it was chosen for this reality show?

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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