ROBINSON TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A new policy is now in effect at The Mall at Robinson, meaning no teenagers can shop without a parent or guardian from 3 p.m. until close.
Teens are not permitted to congregate in the mall parking lot either.
Unescorted youth will be asked to exit the mall by security or risk being prosecuted for trespassing.
The policy also says one parent or guardian may escort all of their children and up to four others.
Shopper Kiora Treadwell is 20 years old. She told Channel 11 that just a few years ago, she was hanging at the mall and said it’s a safe place for teens to be teens.
“I was like 16 -17 it was really fun hanging at the mall,” said Treadwell. “They really just seem to adult-ify teens and criminalize them and I think they should find alternative methods to address the issues at heart.”
The decision comes in the wake of the Waterfront shopping area announcing a new curfew for teens as well.
RELATED >> The Waterfront enforcing curfew, youth supervision policy
“I think it’s not the smartest idea,” said shopper Reese Edwards. “All the small stores will feel the effect, it seems counterintuitive in my opinion.”
Reese Edwards told us specific stores that have teenage clientele will feel the effects of the new policy.
“I think the malls are going to lose a lot of money in the long run, and think because of this people will start to shop online more which could really hurt businesses, all the stores directed towards teenagers,” said Edwards.
We reached out to The Mall at Robinson, as well as their new parent company Kohan Retail Investment group, asking if there was a specific incident that prompted this new policy, but we have not heard back.
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