Beachwood Place in Ohio recently announced that they will be launching a Parental Guidance or PGR program beginning Friday, January 6 2017. This announcement comes just a week after a disturbance in the same mall involving hundreds of teenagers.
Representatives of the mall say that the purpose of the program is to provide a comfortable, family-friendly shopping experience for all mall guests.
The new program requires that teenagers 17-years-old and under during Friday and Saturday evenings will now need a chaperone.
Children under the age limit will need to be accompanied by a parent or an adult over the age of 21 beginning at 5 p.m. Friday and Saturdays.
Public safety officers will be at mall entrances to check photo IDs of shoppers who look to be under seventeen. The program allows for one adult to accompany up to four kids or teens at one time.
Beachwood Place
Those above the age limit will be offered an optional wristband to wear during their time at the mall to confirm they are of age.The incident which was the catalyst for this program involved more than 500 juveniles who began causing trouble after 6:30 p.m.
In a press release, Neisha Vitello, senior general manager of Beachwood Place said:
“All are welcome at Beachwood Place at any time – we simply require that during certain weekend hours, families spend their shopping time together,”
Vitello added,
“Providing a pleasant and comfortable experience for our guests is our top priority. The PGR program is intended to enhance the shopping experience in ways the entire community will appreciate.”
The Mall of America in Minnesota is another mall in the U.S with a similar program in place and we are most likely going to see more of these programs implemented in the future.