Mall policy prohibiting unaccompanied teens goes into effect

By Victor Alvis

Mall rats were being exterminated left and right at Walnut Square Mall on Friday night.

It was the first night of the mall’s new Youth Escort Policy, which says anyone under 18 years of age must be escorted by a parent or guardian on Friday and Saturday evenings after 6 p.m.

The mall was filled with extra security personnel, off-duty police officers, mall management, even representatives from the mall’s corporate office, CBL & Associates Properties Inc., in Chattanooga — and several unescorted teens who arrived without knowledge of the new policy were turned away.

Casey Henson, 18, was caught in the uncomfortable position of looking as if he could be 17.

“I’ve been stopped three times — by a cop, a security guard, and somebody in a suit. I think it’s bull,” Henson said. “They’ll keep the little idiots from causing trouble, but if they keep doing this, I can’t keep coming here.”

Henson was visiting with a half-dozen friends near the food court, including 18-year-old Drew Wilson.

“They’ll cool the gang activity out,” Wilson said.

Overall, feelings about the policy seemed to be mixed.

Adam Becerril and Louis Maqueda, both 23, were turned away shortly after 6 p.m. by a security officer stationed at the mall entrance beside CVS Pharmacy. Neither had his identification with him.

“It’s bad for people from Mexico who don’t have an ID,” Becerril said.

However, families seemed to approve of the policy.

“It’s a good thing, but I would have hated it when I was younger,” said Courtney Yaeger, who was shopping with husband Donald and daughter Emily, a 9-year-old student at Calhoun Elementary School.

“I guess I’m thinking of the older kids, but 6 p.m. sounds a little early to me,” Donald said.

Charlotte and Martin Berrow of Conasauga, Tenn., were looking for sunglasses with daughters Damaris, 13, a Chilhowee Middle School student, and Tekoa, 17, a Polk County High School student.

“It’s a great idea; really good,” Charlotte said. “Kids need it to keep them out of trouble.”

“We don’t have this rule at the mall in Cleveland (Tenn.), but they do at Hamilton Place in Chattanooga,” Damaris said. “But they’re telling everybody what’s going on.”

Both Bradley Square Mall in Cleveland and Hamilton Place Mall are CBL properties.

Brandy Christian has been with CBL for seven years and general manager of Walnut Square since August. Shortly after 6 p.m. Friday, she said she’d already seen a marked increase over past weekends in shoppers, including mothers with strollers.

“Hamilton Place implemented this plan five or six years ago. It works beautifully, and they’ve continued to see increases in sales. It promotes family-friendly shopping,” Christian said. “We’ve turned away a couple of youths, and a couple of parents are wondering what’s going on, but we’re happy with how the word has spread.”

Christian announced the policy two weeks ago, and it has been covered in the newspaper and by Chattanooga TV news. Channel 3 did two live feeds on Friday, she said.

Christian said the policy came about as a result of large groups of unsupervised youths who created incidents in the past that violated the mall’s code of conduct. She said about 250 fights and other juvenile-related incidents were recorded in 2006.

Natalie Faulkner, marketing director for Walnut Square, said about 15 security officers and two off-duty Dalton Police officers were on hand.

“It’s going very smoothly. I’m surprised. I’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback from families so far.”

Underage youths may visit department stores like Belk, Goody’s and JCPenney’s, which have external entrances. They can also attend movies at the Carmike 9, but they can’t pass into the mall itself without a parent or guardian.

A “reunion room” was set up near the mall office to reunite unescorted teens with their parents. It was well-stocked with cookies, chips, soft drinks and a TV playing a movie on DVD, but no one had been escorted to the room during the first hour the policy was in effect.

“I see good and bad. A lot of people use the mall as a baby-sitting service until the mall closes at 9 p.m.,” said Miriam Edris, assistant manager of American Eagle, a clothing store popular with teens. “But the mall is all some kids have. Starting today, we’ll be keeping track of whether it hurts or helps our business.”

Teens working in the mall were given large passes to present upon their arrival, but one store employee said the pass is so large he didn’t use it, preferring to show officers his store ID.

“We won’t have kids stealing and taking our time up watching them. But some aren’t bad. Some come and spent money,” Edris said. “It will bother me, though, if it hurts sales and affects my bonus.”

Jennifer Casey, store manager of Zales jewelry, said the policy makes the mall more tolerable.

“I stand by it 100 percent. A lot of young people create a diversion. Not many want to stop and shop,” Casey said. “I’m seeing more older people, and that’s a great thing. They’re the ones helping businesses run.”

T.J. Swinford, 16, and Alex Wright, 17, Northwest High students, were in line to see Will Ferrell’s latest comic movie, “Blades of Glory.” Wright didn’t see anything funny about the policy, however.

“I think it’s ridiculous,” she said. “Why change it?”

Swinford said he’s not a big shopper.

“I don’t come to the mall much, so I don’t really care,” he said. “But it should stop a lot of crap that goes on from local punks.”