The Virginian-Pilot
©
Throngs of teenagers roamed MacArthur Center on Saturday. Some roamed empty-handed, some munched on pretzels as they window-shopped, others carried bags branded by Forever 21, Abercrombie & Fitch and PacSun.
The scene was much the same at Lynnhaven Mall in Virginia Beach.
But starting Oct. 19, teens won't be welcome at MacArthur in the evening without an adult chaperone. Mall management announced the rule last week, citing safety concerns.
The rule, that anyone younger than 18 will be required to have a chaperone who's at least 21 after 5 p.m., has drawn mixed reactions from mall customers. In an informal survey at MacArthur and Lynnhaven on Saturday, eight in 10 opposed the age restriction.
"I don't like it because a lot of teenagers don't want to go to the mall and hang around with their parents," said 15-year-old Elizabeth Roxbury, a member of a group on the social networking Web site Facebook formed to protest the new rule. "By restricting the age, you're going to lose a lot of business."
But Enas Awad, a mother of three from Chesapeake, said she supports the rule because it will allow her to shop without being disrupted by misbehaving teens. She said she won't mind having to chaperone her 14-year-old son when he visits MacArthur.
"I like to come with him and see what he's doing," she said.
But Elizabeth's mom, Maria Roxbury of Norfolk, said she doesn't have time to tag along while she watches a movie, eats dinner or tries on clothes.
"I don't really want to have to spend my time after 5 at the mall," she said.
Between October 2008 and September 2009, 99 crimes were reported at MacArthur, including 55 shoplifting incidents, one robbery and two aggravated assaults, according to Norfolk police.
During the same time, there were roughly 466 crimes reported in the 700 block of Lynnhaven Parkway, where Lynnhaven Mall is located, according to Virginia Beach police. There were more than 200 shoplifting incidents, three robberies and two aggravated assaults. Specific statistics for Lynnhaven Mall were unavailable.
Lynnhaven management has said the mall isn't considering imposing age restrictions, but enforces a code of conduct for all visitors.
MacArthur's rule may boost Lynnhaven's business as an alternative hangout, said 21-year-old Keith Abrams, who works at Lynnhaven's T-Mobile kiosk. But it may also push more kids to get into trouble on the street, he said.
"They're going to get into more trouble and do more stupid stuff instead of window-shopping and looking for girls. That's what we used to do," he said. "For the most part, most of the teens here are good kids."
Kathy Adams, (757) 222-5155, kathy.adams@pilotonline.com
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Get over it....
The mall is owned by a private company, there is nothing you can say or do to change it. At Christmas, it will be packed, just not with teenagers. There is nothing anyone can say or do, get over and realize that you need to find something more productive to do with you teenages. Send them to a library. Read a book. This is not a big deal, you are making it a big deal. The adults that are happy with this will shop at the mall and keep it alive.
They need to impose this at all the malls in the area. More adults would shop in the evening if there were not so many teenagers "hanging out". I don't care what color the teenagers are, I am sick of the lack of respect ALOT of them have. Take care of your children, the mall is not a daycare center....get over it.
Hypocrites
Give me a break. These kids are old enough to drive themselves to the mall. They are old enough to work at the mall, and some do. How many of those in favor of this ridiculous rule stayed home every night throughout their teen years doing nothing but homework and spending quality time with their parents? Think about it. At least the mall is a safe place for them to hang out. Apparently some of you would prefer for them to be roaming the streets where they could get into real trouble. You, like the mall management, apparently don't care about them as long as you don't have to be bothered with looking at them while you stroll around the mall. Where is your sense of social responsibility? Oh, that's right, just blame the parents.
Parenting is key
I have a 13 year old daughter that i would not just drop off at a mall, especially MacArthur. I let her go off with a freind if we are out as a family, but never just drop and let her run wild. The key is the parents b ut since a lot of parents do not have time for their kids and have to look for social babysitting like this kids learn to how to act by other kids who learn from other kids who learn from other kids who didn't have parents and then the baser values come out and you get random packs of idiots terrorizing malls. I see packs of kids like this at Lynnhaven, I am only at MacArthur during the day mostly, but I have been down late to see movies and its the "adults" that worry me more than 15 year old kids.
It makes sense to have this be a 16 and younger kind of thing, if kids are being that big of a problem keep a big group of them out. Maybe get Paul Blart, he could handle it.
Be responsible
I totally agree with the new curfew at the mall. While, I am sure that the new rules are aimed at particular groups of teens, I welcome it. Its unfortunate that the people living in the surrounding areas cannot find better things to do with there time. Like actually go to school or do there homework. But the problem certainly does not end at 18 it continues on to those kids parents who generally act in the same manner. I think other area malls should follow suit and enact the same curfew rules. The little amount of money these teens are spending will not be a loss to the mall infact I believe revenue will increase.
Perhaps, mall officials should have a trial period for the new curfew and see from there how the policy could be modified. Just a thought.
This Needs to be Rethought !!!!!
The Mall needs to post appropriate rules of conduct for everyone (all age groups) and enforce it. This is discriminating against our youth.
Many of these young people go to movies, grab a bite and window shop. They are not on the street or selling drugs or otherwise participating in illegal activity. If the mall is unsafe for teenagers then it is unsafe for me so I will just boycott it all together. Norfolk has few places for our youth to go.....so just throw them out on the street.
A parent should feel secure in their young people being at the mall.
If it is unsafe, then beef up security and hire off duty policemen at mall expense. Perhaps the ACLU should become involved in this. !!!!!
just some kids.
TOMW
All kids are not like yours and mine. Some have had no home raising, and run wild. I have seen it. I have seen neighbors kids at the mall and if their parents were there and saw it, it would be a terrible site to see ! Some of us really don't know what our kids do until they are caught and we are told. I have seen some very nasty actions out of some teen groups at malls.
I think all malls should consider it. . .
Kids belong doing something more productive after 5:00 like say homework. On weekends they should be doing something more cerebral than "hanging out" at the mall, or at least engaged in some type of sport. As for hurting business, you must be kidding. Some silly kids buying a video game and a crappy, overpriced shirt at Ambercrombie is not going to hurt anyone's business model. Kids are annoying, so it should be a very good thing.
No kids at the mall
I just have one tiny thing to add about "no one under 18 without parent" rules at malls, either the rules go away very fast or the mall goes away more slowly. Kids that don't feel welcome don't come back and eventually the mall will close for lack of customers.
IDEA
For the ones that don't like being around the teens at the mall, do your shopping on the weekends in the mornings. Most teens sleep til 2:00 in the afternoon !
Last post said from 5:00 til closing, I meant from 3:00 til closing.
curfew
I wish Chesapeake Square Mall would adopt the same regulations and extend it from 5:00 until Closing .