Garden State Plaza Announces Chaperone Policy for Teens

The new policy will take effect on April 28.

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Garden State Plaza, NJ’s second largest mall, will soon start requiring adult chaperones for anyone under the age of 18 on Friday and Saturday nights. The mall, which has over 300 stores, made the announcement after increasing problems with unruly minors on the weekends.

According to the new rules, which will take effect on April 28, starting at 5 pm on Fridays and Saturdays until closing, minors must either be accompanied by an adult age 21 or over who is responsible for their behavior or exit the mall. Waiting zones will be available for teens waiting to be picked up. One adult can be responsible for up to four minors, and the rule does not apply to kids 10 and under who would presumably be with an adult anyway.

Following too many raucous incidents, the mall will be taking the new policy seriously and police officers and mall security will be checking IDs. If a visitor cannot prove they are over 18, they will be asked to leave.

Disruptive behavior, including congregating, offensive language, taking photos or videos in a threatening manner and smoking and vaping are all on the list of activities that are not permitted at the mall.

“Like many shopping centers across the country, we have experienced an increase in disruptive behavior that violates the center’s code of conduct by a small minority of younger visitors,” said information found on the Garden State Plaza website. “Taking this extra step in our security measures will ensure a pleasant and safe environment for our families and every member of our community, as well as our retail partners.”

The new policies cover the entire mall, though department stores and restaurants may have their own policies. The policy is not in effect in the movie theater and minor guests may enter it using Entrance 1 or Entrance 17.

Garden State Plaza is not the only NJ mall with such policies. The Cherry Hill Mall bans teens and children from the mall the day after Christmas. Deptford mall has a chaperone mandate for those under 18 after 5 pm and American Dream requires minors under 16 to have a chaperone after 4 pm.

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