While the retail landscape is evolving in the United States with some retailers reducing their brick-and-mortar footprints for e-commerce — certainly punctuated by the pandemic — malls are still very much a part of the “American Way,” suburban town squares where people can meet up with friends, grab a bite to eat, watch a movie, and do a little shopping. Plus, malls are cool, air-conditioned places to escape the summer’s heat. Unfortunately, where there are people, merchandise, and money, there’s crime.
Before you head out to shop for the latest in swimwear for your company’s annual retreat next month, see how the 10 largest US malls score on the Pinkerton Crime Index (PCI). A lower score means a lower crime risk. A higher score means a higher risk.
According to PCI, the safest mall — and the third largest mall in the US with 2,793,200 square feet and 450 retail spaces — is King of Prussia Mall in King of Prussia, PA, with a total crime index score of 0.68x the national average, followed by American Dream in North Rutherford, NJ, and Roosevelt Field, Garden City, NY at 0.81x and 0.82x respectively.
The largest U.S. mall, Mall of America in Bloomington, MN, with 5,600,000 square feet and over 550 retail spaces, came in with a total crime score of 2.82x, only surpassed by The Galleria in Houston, TX, which has a total crime score of 3.92x.
