There is no greater bastion of capitalism than the American shopping mall.

It's a place where, in the course of an afternoon, you can buy a pair of crocs, eat a cinnabon,

and test out a pinia colada-scented lotion at Bath and Body Works.

But it's also a place where the full spectrum of human behavior is on display,

a place that calls for protection.

And out on the concourse, scanning the crowds for suspicious activity,

a guy like Gus Parsons is heeding the call.

If you ever met me, I'm 5-11, 300 pounds, you know... A guy like Gus Parsons is heating the call.

If you ever met me, I'm 5-11, 300 pounds, you know, ball-headed, 40, I'm not approachable by any means.

Parsons is a veteran mall cop.

He spent 20 years on and off, working as a security guard at shopping centers in San Diego.

We would dress like the normal knockoff cop. Sometimes we'd have to wear those little fake

Mountie hats. I carried a radio. I carried a glass breaker. Handcuffs, extra handcuff keys.

Some malls wanted you to wear a utility belt, but there was no utility.

The only thing that would be on the belt is a flashlight.

Private security officers are a common sight for Americans. We encounter them at airports,

grocery stores, gas stations, office buildings, and banks.

There are 1.2 million of them in the United States, more than all police forces combined.

Private security is a $48 billion industry in the United States.

And while mall security only makes up a fraction of that market, it's a strange calling.

Mall guards are there to provide a sense of public safety.

But they often don't have the authority to enforce it.

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