But the part we always forget is that the robber was the “cop” that had come to the house the night before the trip.

So this kid was like the cops are so corrupt I have to deal with this on my own.

Didn’t the storm knock the phone lines out? That’s why Moira didn’t call the house and called the cops to try and get them to do a wellness check.

No, he could not call the police. A tree fell on his phone line and disconnected his house.

And his parents did notify the police, but the police were, A: completely incredulous, B: completely incompetent and uninterested. They came and knocked on the door, but Kevin was still scared and confused and was hiding under his parents bed the whole time. The cop just gave up and left.

Source: I watched the movie again... and I am going to do so this year along with a Die Hard trilogy (I never watched the third movie) marathon.

Kevin is a shop lifter after he panics with the tooth brush. Since he learned never to trust cops, he assumes he'd get thrown in jail like the hardened criminal he is... And then there's the cop who's trying to break into his house. Yeah, can't blame him for not making that call.

Didn't he not trust the cops because Pesci pretended to be a cop in the opening scene, in order to case the house?

"One call and he would've been safe"

By calling the cops? Lol, good joke.

Nah, it's because he knows one fundamental truth: ACAB. Especially the sleezy one with the gold tooth.

Or he was just too afraid to contact the police. Remember, this took place in the USA, where people have reason to fear them.

He did call the police

This is Kevin now. Feel.old yet?

HA1 was in Chicago. CPD is half as corrupt as NYPD

HA2 was in New York. NYPD is half as corrupt as LAPD.

LAPD is corruption incarnate.

Kevin had no other choice. besides he was staying in a hotel with a human trafficker and pedophile, things were already dangerous enough as it was.

He couldn't have phoned anyone! The phone line was out!

While 911 as an emergency number in the US began in 1968, it wasn't universal until 1999. Home Alone came out in 1990. It was completely normal in my youth (earlier, yes, but still) to just not know what the number to call the police was.

one call [to the police] and he would have been safe

just because it's fiction doesn't mean it's fantasy

He thinks his family actually disappeared. He remarks that they couldn't have gone to Paris, because their cars are still in the garage. The garage having been left open is even a plot point, to allow Kevin to make this realization quicker.

He does eventually call the police. It's the last step of his plan. He calls them to his neighbor's house.

The movie is seriously bulletproof. Like how Kevin spills Pepsi on his ticket and we see it accidentally get thrown in the garbage the night before.

Fun story:

When my daughter met Santa Claus for the first time, she'd recently seen Home Alone and was obsessed, and she introduced herself as Kevin.

When it was time to take a picture I said, "Ok [daughter's name which in all fairness does have an "ev" sound in it], get in Santa's sleigh."

Then Santa leaned over and whispered, "Ohh. I thought she said her name was Kevin."

"Yeah, no, she did say Kevin."

Santa thought that was weird.

Kevin was smart enough to know you don't call the police.

that guys middle name? Macaulay Culkin.

He knew the police would likely put him into child protective services due to parental negligence and decided he'd deal with that shit himself.

also, don't call the cops unless you have literally no other options.