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Hanes Mall introduces youth escort policy

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Thursday, February 11, 2010

(Updated 4:04 pm)

Staff Reports

WINSTON-SALEM - Hanes Mall today announced plans to implement what it called a "Youth Escort Policy" requiring all visitors under 18 years old to be accompanied by a parent or guardian on Fridays and Saturdays after 6 p.m.

The policy takes effect March 5, Hanes Mall said in a press release Thursday.

Parents and guardians must be at least 21 years old.

The policy is "intended to curtail the rising number of unsupervised youth hanging out at Hanes Mall and related disturbances occurring there on Friday and Saturday nights," the mall said in the release.

It was prompted by feedback from local government, business leaders, school officials and Forsyth County residents, according the mall.

"The conduct of unsupervised youth and young adults at Hanes Mall has created an uncomfortable atmosphere for mall visitors and an increasing safety challenge," the release said.

Teens employed at the mall will be allowed to work after 6 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

Hanes Mall will issue IDs to workers under 18 years old.

In Guilford County, mall managers said Tuesday they have no plans to implement weekend curfews on teenagers.

CODES OF CONDUCT

FRIENDLY CENTER: “Friendly Center asks visitors to refrain from: Attendance of children (under age 18) during school hours unaccompanied by a parent, teacher or legal guardian (excluding school holidays and home schooled students). Unaccompanied children ages 16-17 may produce proof of reduced school hours or completion thereof.”

FOUR SEASONS TOWN CENTRE: Nothing in the code specifically addresses the behavior of children or teenagers. It does ban, among other things, “excessive loitering, unnecessarily blocking walkways, roadways or storefronts; running, horseplay or disorderly conduct of any nature.”

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nippded twistle

February 11, 2010 - 8:38 pm EST

Parent accountability...marvelous concept! So many of societies ills would be defeated swiftly if only parents worked a little.

runningboi

February 12, 2010 - 12:05 am EST

You're so right, in the end that's what it all boils down to.

chieftp

February 11, 2010 - 8:56 pm EST

I rarely went to malls when I was a teen, but I never "disturbed" anyone. what if they have guardians and they still cause disturbances? what if they're over 18 but still cause disturbances? I can't believe people even still shop at malls, even teens. but as bad as the economy is right now, how smart is it of them to try to alienate their few remaining customers? but while we're at it, can we also get these whippersnappers to turn down that "yeh yeh yeh" music?

CopOnTheBeat

February 11, 2010 - 10:09 pm EST

You said, "but as bad as the economy is right now, how smart is it of them to try to alienate their few remaining customers?"

That's just the situation. These teens aren't customers for the most part. They're not spending any money except for maybe a drink and something from the food court. They're not spending serious cash. All that some of them are doing is driving down to the mall (or have their parents dump them out there) and just hang out for hours...and interfere with the people who really want to spend money.

I've seen parents put their kids out at a mall entrance and say they'll be back in four hours. FOUR HOURS! In four hours those kids could make it to the beach, mountains..or God knows where. Do you realize the level of mischief you can get into in four hours? Example: One 16-year-old kid was banned from the mall property for one year after getting nabbed stealing from a store. When the officers told him he would have to leave, he said he couldn't -- he didn't have a ride. The mall security officers had to babysit him for two hours until his mother returned from paying her bills and running errands. The same kid was caught on the property two weeks later and arrested for trespassing, and now he's permanently banned from the property. If he comes back he gets jail time. That's just how it works many times.

Ask anyone who works at Hot Topic, Spencers, American Eagle or Abercrombie. They'll tell you that on weekends they have to go from customer service mode into defensive mode because of the madness some of the kids commit. Sometimes they'll see the same faces over and over for hours -- that's because they're just hanging out. Some of them go into the stores over and over in order to get their nerve up to swipe something...some get caught, many don't.

Four Seasons could learn a lesson from Hanes Mall. The customer base at Four Seasons has fallen over the years because of the youngsters who take over the mall on weekends. Its so bad now that Greensboro Police officers work special assignments there, and eligible officers beg for a piece of that pie. Why? Because the mall owners pay excellent money for them to be on premises and be seen. I hate to cut a brother or sister officer out of any money for extra work, but the mall could save some money if they would take a proactive approach to the problem and that would be to make it tougher on the teens who turn the mall into a hangout. Get rid of them if they're just hanging out or unescorted. Bring the paying customers back. After all, its a retail environment, not a nursery school.

Kudos, Hanes Mall!

gsoagt

February 11, 2010 - 10:25 pm EST

It is about time someone in this world run by commercialism run a muck got some sense!!! I challenge Four Seasons, aka. the gangsta ghetto mall, to follow suit. There is a reason decent stores like William-Sonoma left the mall. I have avoided Four Seasons like the plague as a single woman, I have not felt safe there in years.

HotRodLincoln

February 12, 2010 - 12:21 am EST

"Mall managers in Guilford County said Tuesday they have no plans to implement weekend curfews on teenagers.
They say there’s no reason to." N&R Feb.10

The managers must shop at Friendly Center or online.
Having said that, the 13 - 14 year old's are a small piece of the puzzle. I'm more afraid of the 20 - 25 year old's myself. The curfew won't cure the problem but at least they are trying.
I used to love to go to Four Seasons around Christmas to shop and enjoy the decorations, I didn't this year simply because I don't want to take my family where I don't feel safe.

destro

February 11, 2010 - 11:09 pm EST

GOOD its about time

buckfan77

February 12, 2010 - 12:49 am EST

I think this is an excellent idea! There is absolutely no need for teenagers to just be wandering around a mall for hours on end. Do parents have no control over or concern for their kids, can they not find something more constructive for them to do on weekends? And I can tell you from first hand experience these kids do not bring in extra revenue. I work in a fairly new shopping center in the triad, I'm a waitress, and every weekend, the shopping center ceases to become a "shopping center" and becomes the local "babysitting center". After they see a movie, groups of anywhere from 4 to 10 or more teenagers come in wanting a table. One, maybe two will actually order any food, usually wanting something from the children's menu since it's cheap and comes with a drink, or they order some other 'under $5 item' and a water. Then they sit there for a couple hours taking up our tables and making us lose money. I say 'lose money' because of course, they never tip. Maybe parents should actually be responsible for their kids and their behavior instead of just dumping them somewhere on weekends so they are out of the parents hair. Okay, tirade over. ;)

chieftp

February 12, 2010 - 1:37 am EST

yeh, I can't imagine teenagers hanging out at the mall. must be a new fad or something. so if they're going to ban people who don't buy anything, then maybe they need to ban all the old people who go there and just walk around for exercise. but I know - they aren't "causing trouble." but they're still using the mall as a gym and not paying membership dues. maybe the mall should institute a minimum purchase requirement for anyone who walks in the door. seriously how do "malls" stay in business anyway? isn't a mall more of a 1970s/80s kinda thing?

LOcasio

February 16, 2010 - 9:34 pm EST

I don't believe this policy is solving anything. Winston-Salem is not a teen friendly place as it is, what is there for teens to do beside going to the mall and the movies (which has a curfew as well). So if a teen needs to buy some clothes on the weekend they would have to either drag their parents or go to Four Seasons to do it. Maybe they should hire more security then just kick out their so-called "problem group". Winston-Salem needs to realize BAD THINGS WILL HAPPEN. You just can't cancel out everything at the site of a problem. You ban teenagers from the mall , where are they gonna go now just sit at home not doing anything?
I used to live in Miami and at one of the big malls there were a lot of problems with teenagers , but you don't see them banning teenagers they implement more security offices, cameras, etc.