Those who claim crime is not a problem at the few remaining malls in Montgomery County were dealt a blow of reality today, as Westfield announced it will implement a restrictive 3:00 PM curfew for unaccompanied minors at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda and Wheaton Plaza starting September 28. Once in effect, the new policy will require any mall patron under 18 to be accompanied by a parent or supervising adult after 3:00 PM, seven days a week. Those not in compliance will be escorted from the premises by security or Montgomery County police. Supervising adults may be asked for identification with a valid I.D.
Westfield says the hours and specifics of the new policy can be changed at any time, and that it may adjust the hours of enforcement during the holiday shopping season. It also says that supervising adults will be held responsible for the behavior and actions of the juveniles under their supervision, suggesting legal liability potential for the type of assaults and shoplifting incidents that have been taking place at the property in recent years.
This curfew sadly punishes the majority of minors who lawfully engage in the All-American tradition of hanging out at the mall. It will certainly cost mall tenants financially. That dovetails with another disappointing trend: Massive international corporations like Westfield and Giant parent Ahold declining to publicly condemn pro-criminal elected officials, and put their considerable financial resources toward electing alternative leaders, and instead implementing policies that punish all customers, such as locking up items or crippling self-checkouts. Montgomery County and Maryland's weak juvenile crime policies - and weak willed business responses - seem to put criminals in charge of our community, rather than holding them accountable. The new curfew policy was first reported by The MoCo Show.
That last paragraph is a real HOOT! Way to go Einstein, first thing, you can't have your cake and eat it too. Either you stop all juveniles or none. Your method is like Spot Zoning, not equal. Although I'm seeing the ulterior, klandestine motive you're pushing. Westfield is simply practicing what works in a neighboring jurisdiction, to protect their investments.
ReplyDeleteIf you have other ideas for solving a problem that is not germain to MoCo, perhaps you should tell us what you really think.
What's "a real hoot" about a weak juvenile justice system that isn't deterring criminal activity? Ask the business people who are losing money, or the victims who go to the emergency room after being assaulted how hilarious it is.
DeleteRobert thinks that global corporations care about who’s running for county executive lmao
Delete“That dovetails with another disappointing trend: Massive international corporations like Westfield and Giant parent Ahold declining to publicly condemn pro-criminal elected officials, and put their considerable financial resources toward electing alternative leaders.”
ReplyDeleteI, for one, welcome our international corporate overlords. Robert has put his finger on what’s been missing from the equation: the lack of foreign corporate money funneling into local MoCo politics, to bring into office politicians more pliable and supine to the business interests of *offshore* patrons. It’s like a more sophisticated corporate cousin of local property developers installing their hand-picked Council courtiers, only the [illegal] donations are tidy, Gouda-scented Euros, not plaster-dusty, hand-me-down Benjamins.
Heckofajob, Robert.
Shouldn't it just be very wrong that we even *have* to do this? We can't even discuss the denominator.
ReplyDeleteWhy, Johnny McJustice must be livid by now.
ReplyDeleteWhy didn't they do this before opening a police station in the mall that did nothing, seemingly, to curb the misbehavior? The policy is certainly worth trying but it'll come down to enforcement. Shane it's come to this. .
ReplyDeleteAmazing - police station in the mall and foot patrols. And they are now effectively banning teenagers from the mall (3pm is an effectively a ban).
DeleteWhat's next? Home Depot banning contractors?
I remember people commenting here to stop reporting the steady flow of assaults at Montgomery Mall because they were likely just family disputes. Guess not!
ReplyDeleteThis is going to crush businesses in the food court and Starbucks. Probably won't have a ton of impact on the revenues of the other stores but they will likely lose more than they gain. The only time I ever go to the mall is to take my teenage daughter and her friends, they go off on their own while I wonder and sometimes buy something. If we have to stay together it will be off their list of places to go hang out. I give this 3 months max before it's gone.
ReplyDelete3pm? Seems stupid and knee jerk. My guess is they go to Tyson's. Democrats.
ReplyDeleteYou think that the minors who can’t drive will find a way to go all the way to Tyson’s? And the minors who can will endure the after work traffic? Get real. They’ll go to somewhere closer like Silver Spring or find somewhere else to hang out.
DeleteBy the time they get there it will be closed!
DeleteOh my, just wait until the Montgomery Mall Purple Line Station opens next year!
ReplyDeleteHow so? Will they be taking a shuttle bus?
DeleteFascinating attempt to kill off their own business. Surely teens make up a large percentage of their customer base. Yes, teens are somewhat more likely to do something dumb/impulsive/criminal, but this is about as logical as a bar banning those over 21 just because that's the population that sometimes causes trouble.
ReplyDeleteAll this could be solved with a few ICE trucks parked at the Malls... especially the Wheaton one.
ReplyDelete@10:19 really went mask off with this comment, huh?
Delete@1:20 PM: Your boos mean nothing. I've seen what makes you cheer.
DeleteThis is a great way to force away the 99% of law-abiding teens and encourage the 1% of troublemakers to come test how fast security can run. Smart thinking, Westfield.
ReplyDeleteThis is purely a result of lax enforcement of laws already on the books. I'll bet most liberals who vote for people like McCarthy don't raise their children this way, although looking at a few of the leftist posters here and its obvious they've never been told no.
ReplyDeleteWhat vote? He is running again unopposed for the sixth term!
Delete6:53am AMC theaters will also be impacted. Teens will be banned from all evening showtimes unless with a parent
ReplyDeleteAre they afraid to just arrest the ones causing problems (including adults) and leave everyone else alone?
ReplyDeleteIncredibly stupid policy that will only hurt revenue and shut down even more third places for young people. And they say they can stop and demands papers of anyone they see walking with minors? Dystopian garbage.
ReplyDeleteAt least on weekdays, shouldn't most kids be in school until around 3 PM? Just wondering ...
ReplyDeleteThis decision is terrible because you punish all teenagers because of a few bad apples. I like to see the energy and enthusiasm of teenagers. Obviously, this artificial curfew will impact the food court and stores. The leases at Montgomery Mall are very expensive, and I would not be surprised if more stores and food places close at Montgomery Mall.
ReplyDeleteThis story is gaining national attention and is currently running on foxbusiness.com. There's no link to share it here but I thought this snippet was interesting:
ReplyDeleteSecurity officers will enforce the policy through ID checks, and anyone under 18 without an accompanying adult will be required to leave the property, FOX 5 reported.