Mall management at one of the city’s major retail centers announced the policy, the Parental Guidance Required Program, days after a fight broke out among teenagers April 16. Arlington police arrested “multiple juveniles” on fighting in public charges, according to the department’s Twitter account. No one was seriously injured, according to the post.
Because there have been a lot of rumors flying around on social media this evening, we wanted to provide some information regarding an incident that occurred earlier tonight at the Parks Mall.
— Arlington Police, TX (@ArlingtonPD) April 17, 2022
A fight broke out between a large group of teens inside the mall.
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“The PGR program is intended to help provide a safe, peaceful experience at our shopping center,” said Lorie Lisius, mall senior general manager, in a statement. “We want to reiterate that all are welcome at the Parks Mall at Arlington at any time. We simply require that during certain weekend hours, families shop together and guests under 18 are accompanied by an adult.”
Various malls across the country have adapted policies requiring adult supervision during busy holiday seasons or after fights. Brookfield Properties, which owns Parks Mall and is one of the largest mall owners in the country, has enacted the program at a few other locations, and is “not something that we enter in lightly,” said company spokesperson Lindsay Kahn.
“We know that not all youth are disruptive and how important the mall is. It’s community and we all have experiences of hanging out at our local mall, so it is a last resort,” Kahn said.
Security officers will check government-issued or school identification cards of anyone who looks younger than 18. Parents or adults over 21 must remain with their children throughout the trip, and those over 18 will receive wristbands that are optional to wear, but may prevent people from getting carded again by officers throughout the mall.
Supervising adults can accompany up to four children ages 11 to 18 and any number of children 10 or under.
Mall staff will broadcast announcements starting at 1 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays to give unsupervised children time to leave.
Police Chief Al Jones said in a statement that his department supports the mall’s decision.
The April 16 fight is the second major brawl to break out in Parks Mall this year. Arlington police arrested five minors Jan. 8 following a fight that involved 20 to 30 people.
Got a tip? Email Kailey Broussard at kbroussard@kera.org. You can follow Kailey on Twitter @KaileyBroussard.
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