Mall rules help battle teen-related problems

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By Kurt Allemeier | Tuesday, January 30, 2007 12:09 AM CST | () comments

Mall of America in suburban Minneapolis had hundreds of incidents a year involving teens shortly after it opened in 1992, and property managers knew something had to change.

The mall’s parental escort policy started in 1996, after 300 teen-related incidents, most of them minor, were reported to mall management, said Anna Lewicki Long, Mall of America spokeswoman. The following year, the number of incidents was whittled to two.

“It has been incredibly effective,” Long said.

The parental escort policy requires teens to be accompanied by someone older than 21 after 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday or face being escorted out, Long said. The mall attracts about 10,000 teens a day on weekends and is the largest mall in the United States.

“That was when we were seeing most of the incidents,” she said. “Groups of teens can block store entrances just by talking, and that can be intimidating.”

Concerns have been raised about safety at Davenport’s NorthPark Mall since a brawl Jan. 20 involved about 100 young people. The mall, like many others, has a policy against loitering and disruptive behavior, and prohibits gang-related clothing. Mall manager Simon Property Group’s policy prohibits groups of more than five people, according to the mall’s policy and a spokeswoman.

Coral Ridge Mall, in Coralville, Iowa, also has a policy prohibiting disruptive behavior, but Monica Nadeau, the mall’s general manager, wouldn’t go into specifics. Malls say they have to take an aggressive stance to keep a lid on bad behavior.

“It is pretty much zero tolerance,” Nadeau said. “The mall is a place to shop. If you you aren’t shopping, we don’t want you here.”

Gary Ogzewalla, general manager of Crossroads Mall in Waterloo, Iowa, agrees.

“We welcome teens, but we don’t expect the mall to be a gathering place, Ogzewalla said. “We expect them to patronize our stores.

“We have been fortunate because we enforce fairly and aggressively,” he said.

NorthPark, Coral Ridge and Crossroads malls are managed by different companies.

The Mall of America hasn’t turned its back on teenagers. The number of stores marketed toward teens has increased, and the mall offers teen-friendly events, such as a prom fashion show. The mall’s Web site, www.mallofamerica.com, has special sections for young adults, teens, and kids and families.

Mall of America officials also have been willing to export their parental escort policy, talking to other malls across the country and as far as England. The enormous mall and the smaller Iowa malls share a common goal, Coral Ridge’s Nadeau said. “Our goal is to make it a pleasant shopping experience.”

Kurt Allemeier can be contacted at (563) 383-2360 or at kallemeier@qctimes.com.