KENTWOOD, Mich. — Starting this Saturday, anyone under the age of 18 will need an adult with them while inside Woodland Mall.
The new parental-supervision policy will be in effect on Saturdays starting at 6 p.m.
Preit, the company that owns Woodland Mall, says the decision is to address large groups of unsupervised minors who were disrupting the shopping experience.
"Woodland Mall is committed to maintaining a welcoming environment for all of our guests," said Tony DeLuccia, general manager of Woodland Mall. "This policy ensures our visitors can enjoy their shopping experience and fosters a secure work environment for mall employees."
On Saturdays after 6 p.m., any child must be with a parent or legal guardian who are over 21 years old. The mall says one adult can accompany up to four kids, but one must be related to that adult.
The new policy has patrons wondering if this is the right course of action.
"Nah, we don't need parents to monitor everything we're doing,” said Todd Gardner, a Woodland Mall attendee. "My 15-year-old was just in the mall with his girlfriend and a few of his friends. And at 16 if I can go get a job without a parent, I can spend my money without a parent.”
Other mall attendees who frequent the mall say this problem should've been addressed much sooner.
"I believe it's a good thing; it's been a lot with the minors," said Patience Williams, a shopper who works near Woodland Mall. "Some people were fighting, a lot going on, sometimes it can be a bit much because they come in big groups."
Meanwhile, parents like Gardner believe the proper measures are already in place to keep the youth under control.
"I do understand that a lot of kids do tend to get in trouble when they don't have a parent around," Gardner said. "But you got mall security here. You got the police. I'll call the police on you; that will make a 16-year-old all right.”
Any children found violating the policy will be asked to leave the mall property.
The supervision policy could be extended to other days and hours during the busy holiday shopping season, according to Woodland Mall.
Store employees who are under 18 will be allowed to continue to work past 6 p.m. on Saturdays. Individual store managers will be responsible to coordinate with the mall about those young employees.
The policy includes most areas of the malls except for stores with exterior entrances.
Read the full policy on Woodland Mall's website.
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