The kids are not alright — to be roaming the mall.
This past Friday, unaccompanied minors at Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus, New Jersey, were asked to leave — and escorted to the exits by security guards and police officers — when the clock struck 5:00 p.m.
A small army of the gatekeepers were posted at every entrance of the mall.
“This is so f – – ked up,” a teen grumbled as cops ushered him and his friends out of the mall’s food court and into the parking lot.
April 28 was the first day that the plaza’s new “Parental Guidance Policy” was put into action.
It requires that mallgoers ages 17 and under have an adult chaperone — someone over age 21 — on Fridays and Saturdays after 5:00 p.m.
Those between the ages of 18 and 21 are allowed to stay but must show an ID and get a blue bracelet to denote they’re of age.
Underage mall employees have to show their store name tags to gain admittance.
The policy was enacted in response to “an increase of disruptive behavior” at the shopping center, which houses over 300 stores, including designer boutiques such as Louis Vuitton and Gucci, as well as fast-fashion retailers such as Forever 21 and Zara.
There have been both real-life brawls and rumors on social media.
In September 2022, there were allegedly “five fights and a shooting” in a single day, per a viral TikTok post. A more recent rumpus, in March 2023, garnered 1.2 million on the video-sharing platform..
Proponents of the policy — many of them concerned parents — say it’s a great way to stop the madness at the mall.
But opponents of the mandate — namely the teens it stonewalls — argue that the rule is totally uncool.
“It’s unfair,” said Emily, a 14-year-old Bergen County high schooler who was accompanied by her mother, Andrea, on Friday night. “You should be able to walk around the mall by yourself, and the people who start the fights should be banned so that they don’t ruin it for everybody else.”
Andrea, who declined to give her last name, said the new policy is needed.
“It’s been unsafe,” she said. “The [authorities] aren’t left with many ways to stop the fighting. Maybe this will calm it down.”
But, some say minors aren’t the problem.
“We’ve been here a few times, and we’ve seen fights break out, but didn’t involve people who were under 18,” Ava, a 19-year-old college freshman from Bergen County, told The Post.
“It’s the older people who are getting into fights,” said her friend Isabella, an 18-year-old from Passaic County. “I’ve never seen younger people starting issues here.”
(Both young women declined to give their last name for privacy reasons.)
The new rule mimics similar “chaperone” ordinances recently instituted after dark at popular hangouts such as the Mall at Robinson in Pittsburgh, as well as theme parks such as Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, California, and Kings Island in Cincinnati.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that youth violence has become highly common and that homicide is the third leading cause of death for young people ages 10-24.
Marilyn Warren, 74, and daughter Cassandra, 29, visited the mall Friday and said they were happy about the new rules.
“The dangers are always increasing,” Warren, from Rockland County, told The Post.
“Little girls and teenage girls can be taken advantage of,” added Cassandra. “In the evening, the mall becomes a breeding ground for predators. Kids don’t need to be out by themselves at night.”
Claudia, a 36-year-old who staffs a decorative keepsakes kiosk at the mall, said the new restrictions weren’t strict enough.
“The rule is just ‘No teenagers allowed.’ They didn’t say, ‘No guns allowed,’” noted Claudia, who’s held a professional position on the lower level of the mall since early 2022.
(Westfield Garden State Plaza’s code of conduct does prohibit firearms on the property.)
Claudia told The Post she’s witnessed at least three massive mall fights and has experienced several mall lockdowns due to claims of gun violence.
She thinks authorities need to institute firm rules for shoppers of all ages — not just for teens.
“So now what?” she asked. “The adults can come and do damage.”
She added: “I don’t think [the policy] is gonna work in the long run.”
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