Several teens were turned away from a suburban Louisville mall on the first day the shopping center began a new chaperone rule stemming from a recent disturbance involving a large number of unruly juveniles.
Signs placed prominently about Mall St. Matthews informed customers about the Parental Guidance Required program that began Saturday.
Security officials were stationed at the mall’s public entrances, asking IDs of anyone that appeared to look under the age of 25, while more security guards roamed the food court and the rest of the center looking for anyone who might be underage and unaccompanied by an adult.
The new policy requires teens and pre-teens to have an adult escort during certain hours. The rule was put in place following the disturbance at the mall a week ago. The restriction requires teens under the age of 18 to have adult supervision after 4 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. The adult must be at least 21 years of age and can chaperone up to 4 juveniles.
Saturday was the first day the new program went into effect.
The mall’s general manager, David Jacoby, said there would not be mall security checking IDs at entrances that go directly into a particular store, saying that “we don’t want to hinder the retailers from doing business.”
Mall officials have said the Parental Guidance Required program is temporary, but have not indicated an end date for the program.
Young adults who were carded and OK’ed by security were offered bright blue wristbands to show other security personnel that they didn’t need to be stopped again.
The new chaperone rule also went into effect at Oxmoor Center.
Source: AP
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