New Jersey cracks down on mall-addicted teens.
The Garden State Plaza Mall requires guests under the age of 18 to be accompanied by a companion aged 21 or older over the weekend in response to a wave of chaos on TikTok.
The policy began April 28 and takes effect after 5 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, according to mall officials, who say the aim is to stamp out illegal behavior.
“We are seeing an increase in the concentration of teenagers, mostly underage. ... teens enjoy this property for more than just shopping, dining and entertainment,” said Wesley Rebish, senior managing director of Garden State Plaza, NorthJersey.com.
“They are illegal and violate the code of conduct, which may include running around the facility in large groups, fighting and posting on TikTok, which significantly disrupts work and causes inconvenience to our regular customers.”
Police and security personnel will be stationed at the mall's entrance to check documents, and anyone who refuses will be asked to leave the mall, mall officials said.
"If anyone tries to escalate, we have police on site to stop them," said Dan Senedy, senior vice president of security operations at Garden State Plaza Mall parent company Unibail Rodamco Westfield.
Reaction to the new policy was mixed.
"As a teacher, I feel like a student, that is, students, children, everyone needs supervision," subscriber Jasmine Mark told CBS News. "I guess when they're alone here they usually get into trouble, so I think they should come with family members."
Others scoffed at the new rules.
"Kids have to get this freedom, you know what I mean?" said buyer Ali Brightwell. "I don't think they need an escort"
"I can understand why they did it, but I mean, I don't think it's right... They shouldn't be using it," Brightwell added.
Garden State Plaza, New Jersey's second-largest mall, isn't the first mall to impose restrictions on unaccompanied minors.
A resort in Columbia, Maryland, introduced a similar policy last month, citing juvenile offending, reports the Baltimore Sun.
Malls in Georgia, North Carolina and Pennsylvania are doing the same.
