Mall of America starts using K-9s to sniff for guns
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — A new security measure is now in place at the Mall of America.
When the mall started using K-9s as part of its security more than 20 years ago, the emphasis was on sniffing out explosives. But now, the dogs are training to sniff out guns that someone might be carrying through the mall.
K-9 Ellie spent months training on the scent that each part of a firearm gives off. When she spots one, she lets her trainer, Lt. Kenny McDonough, know right away.
The concept — to track a gun that's on a moving person — is relatively new, especially in a building as large as the mall. When training the eight new K-9s who have joined the security team, the instructions break down a typical handgun into two pieces and teach the dogs to find that single component.
"Firearm detection is a relatively new concept in the K-9 world, so we kind of heard about it here and there. We really started to explore it last year in earnest and kind of went full throttle from there," explained Vice President of Mall Security Will Bernhjelm
Even in large groups of people, the dogs are trained to pinpoint who exactly is carrying the gun.
Still, the security team at MOA stresses that the K-9s won't change a shopper's experience.
"Our K-9s are out on the floor every day, so if you're the average guest, you might not even know what they're doing or what they're searching for," said Bernhjelm. "This is an incredible step forward. We're always looking to stay leading edge in our approach."
The Mall of America typically utilizes surveillance cameras, bike patrols, and a behavior analyst who is trained to watch for suspicious behavior. There are also plain-clothes officers and others in uniform throughout the mall.
In late 2021 and into 2022, there were three shootings in the Mall of America.