A new 3:00 PM curfew for juveniles goes into effect today at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. The controversial new policy comes in response to juvenile crime at the popular retail center, primarily in the forms of shoplifting, assault, and robbery. All patrons under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian after 3:00 PM, seven days a week. That adult will be held responsible for any crimes committed by the minors under their supervision at the mall.
The policy essentially ends the American pastime of teens hanging out at malls after school, and at night, at Westfield's Montgomery and Wheaton Plaza malls. This past Saturday night, teens crowded into Montgomery Mall's Dining Terrace food court, the last to enjoy a rite of passage of a Saturday night at the mall. In a sign of what brought us to this point, however, Montgomery County police officers were seen rushing to respond to a crime in progress at Champs Sports.
What are the details of the Champs Sports call, Robert? Were suspects identified as juveniles?
ReplyDeleteThat should effectively shutter a good chunk of the stalls at the food court, other than McDonalds, Panda Express, and maybe Shake Shack, the gustatory equivalent of cockroaches, able to survive whatever apocalypse they encounter. None of the other places look like they have been beating back crowds. Ban what looks like 3/4 of the customers you'd see in the food court on a given afternoon or evening and the mall maintenance staff should soon be busy hanging "Exciting new tastes! Coming soon" signs all over the place. Small food operators will go out of business because their customer base is going to be strangled by this Westfield decision.
ReplyDeleteDon't forget Chick-fil-A.
DeleteThinking outside the box, perhaps more people with real money will go to the mall now, knowing the juvenile delinquents who make life miserable for everyone except themselves won't be there. Just thinking outside the box a little.
DeleteThis is such an example of liberal logic. Don't enforce laws already on the books and then look like a deer in the headlights when crime escalates, all while mouthpieces scream everything is fine, nothing to see here.
ReplyDeleteThere is a reason why merchants are locking up toothpaste behind plexiglass. McCarthy and the council refuse to do their job.
true dat
Delete6:23 - such a good point. does anyone really think that westfield malls have no idea what they are doing? does anybody really think that this company wanted to do this? it's a problem. and when it no longer presents a problem, they'll amend the policy.
Delete👎👎👎👎👎
DeleteThey probably don't use toothpaste.
DeleteIt's happening all over, not just in Maryland. Juveniles have not been raised properly and it shows. Just look at Ocean City, MD this summer - we never had that kind of stuff happen, and the internet / Facebook, etc. are in on it as well.
DeleteLocal “news” must be going real slow if we had to cry about this being implemented and then have a post about it when it’s implemented. Where’s my “we need Republicans elected” coverage? This is too subtle, where’s my explicit statement that Democrats are pro crime that flies in the face of logic?
ReplyDeleteWhat I want to know is whether or not Westfield or any other major shopping mall owner has implemented a similar policy and what its effect was. They aren't doing this to be mean. They aren't doing this do run food court businesses out of the place. Westfield is doing this because the behavior and/or crime, etc has gotten out of control. Period.
ReplyDeleteI remember the mall before they built a jail there and police patrols.
ReplyDeleteWhy not arrest or ban those causing problems and leave everyone else alone?
ReplyDeleteBetter yet, make them attend mandatory classes with professor McCarthy.
DeleteAll of you guys claiming, oh no it will shut down all the food stalls. Clearly haven't worked within Retail. We have still met our sales goals on days with barely any teens in the mall. How else do you think these food stalls and retailers are still open? Because the manage to meet their sales metrics on weekdays and weekends. This cerfew will definetly benefit retailers and encourage them to renew their leases than leave the mall. The mall has tried implementing more security, police yet the juveniles wouldn't stop assaulting shoppers. This cerfew is more than likely to encourage higher-paying individuals to come and spend their money at the mall, rather than shop online. If you unsatisfied, go to Tyson's Corner and Columbia! I'm sure Montgomery will do fine, as I've worked in sales and this will be beneficial for everyone.
ReplyDeleteSpot on! Thank you.
DeleteI agree. People wouldn't go to places knowing out of control thug juveniles would be hanging around, making people miserable. Now they may just come out. \
DeleteThe Paris-based owners of Westfield malls made this decision because of several headline-grabbing incidents at the perpetually violence-plagued Wheaton Plaza: a stabbing in February and a shooting in July, all carried out by the under-18 set. Montgomery Mall's police blotter appearances are weak tea compared to the authentically life-threatening crimes carried out with some frequency in Wheaton. Regardless, rather than address the issue with any precision, industrial-strength CYA corporate policies have been lobbed from the French HQ, approaching matters with a broad-stroke solution that tars everyone with the same brush.
ReplyDeleteWheaton Plaza has always been down-market, since long before the place was enclosed. That situation was exacerbated when the Red Line opened a stop a quick adrenaline-infused sprint away from from the facility. The customers at Montgomery Mall should not be made to pay for the felonious transgressions of those to the east.
". That situation was exacerbated when the Red Line opened a stop a quick adrenaline-infused sprint away from from the facility." So the Purple line will be different, and not bring crime to Bethesda?
Deletebye bye food court businesses and other shops who cater to the youth
ReplyDeleteBut, that the main reason people flock to that Mall.
DeleteFake thought.
DeleteI don't know. Maybe it doesn't impact the high end jewelers or Nordstrom. But lots of stores are targeted teens: Popmart, Garage, American Eagle, all the sneaker stores, GameStop...
ReplyDeleteThose targeted by the ban don't go to patronize any of the stores you mention. The prime objective of the loiterers is to "hangout" and create mischievous. The less access provided to them the better. Again, I reiterate the fact that The Mall in Columbia has this policy and it was instituted in May of 2023. That means for three years they have upheld sanity in their mall w/o, it seems, any complaints.
Delete10:49, to your point, WM is in dire financial shape. Look it up, there's a plan for mixed use retail/residential but any indigenous know the transition, at the very least, will be tumultuous. Where do these "kids" go then? MM is merely preparing for that, who'd be better and more aware than their own owners? Its going to be a rocky road fir us, particularly with the looming Purple pipeline
ReplyDeleteYet another pearl clutching clown comment. "WM" is debt free having paid off their loan, look it up. Halloween isn't quit here but if Purple scares you see a therapist.
DeleteWas at the mall last night to pick up Frank Pepe, the best pizza in the area and among the best in the country. Yes, it was Monday so there wasn't much of a crowd but security staff was checking ID in the Food Court. This will be a great plan and will work very effectively. The mall wants teenagers to have fun and spend some money but they need to do so politely and respectfully. Good on them for coming down hard at least for now. My guess is that it will be slightly amended if all goes well.
ReplyDeleteYou sure it wasn't an Andy's Pizza, or did you go out of your way just to be nosey?
DeleteFrank Pepe’s among the best in the country? Oh, JAC, what color is the sky in your world?
ReplyDelete“One cinder pie with mushrooms, please. Can you make it extra-tough?”
“On it.”
My Little Pizzeria, Court Street in Brooklyn. They’ll beat up Frankie P and take his lunch money, too.
Lucali's would like to have a word with you!
DeleteFrank Pepe is the worst pizza I have had in my life. I guess why they are empty most of the time.
ReplyDelete8:12 - That's funny because Pepe is a 100 year old family business from New Haven, CT and is widely considered by pizza experts as amount the best pizza in the country. And Dave Portnoy from Barstool Sports, not a pizza pro by trade, but is now, ranks New Haven pizza higher than almost any other. But, ok.
DeleteJAC, longevity is not, ipso facto, synonymous with quality. Ford, Chrysler, Whirlpool, and Viking [ranges] come immediately to mind as examples. If Frank Pepe’s adds spring to your step, then good on ya; I’ll not rain on your parade. I found their pies too long cooked for my tastes, with crusts crisply charred to the verge of cremation, but it takes a village. Some people like beef well-done, some like steak tartare, and lots fall somewhere in between.
ReplyDelete11:14 - That's true. But New Haven Pizza is widely considered as some of the best in the United States. I've had Sally's there as well and it's incredible.
Delete@6:08, perhaps we should also weigh the effects on MoCo mall crime that expanding Dulles and National will have. Yours was probably not the mic-drop *gotcha* you might have thought. The Wheaton Red Line station is roughly one-fifth mile from the nearest Wheaton Plaza door. In track & field numbers, that’s 321 meters. The distance from Montgomery Mall to the nearest Purple Line station, at 7450 Wisconsin Avenue, is just shy of four miles as the crow flies. Presuming our criminals are escaping via public transit, the former sprints fairly easily to his ride from Wheaton, while the latter better have his running shorts on, ‘cause it’s over 6,400 meters, which the Google Machine tells me would take roughly 20 minutes for an average male NCAA athlete to run. [NB: the Wheaton distance would be closed in under 40 seconds by the same “average” athlete.] Even the most ambitious, physically fit criminal will seek more efficient means of flight than to haul himself cross-country and to another zip code to make good his escape from a planned evil-doing.
ReplyDelete