ORANGE PARK, Fla. \u2014 A new policy at the Orange Park Mall is now in effect, changing who can shop on weekend nights, and it\u2019s getting mixed reactions from businesses and teens.<\/p>\n
Starting Friday, anyone under 18 must be accompanied by a guardian 21 or older to shop at the mall on Fridays and Saturdays. Teens must also pass through security checkpoints and wear color-coded armbands while inside.<\/p>\n
Mall officials say the Youth Supervision Policy is intended to improve safety and restore a welcoming shopping experience. But not everyone is on board.<\/p>\n
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <\/b><\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think it\u2019s that serious. I think that it\u2019s stupid and I don\u2019t think that it should be that way,\u201d said teen Riley Wynn.<\/p>\n Many teens are voicing frustration over the new rules, arguing they\u2019re being restricted because of the behavior of a few.<\/p>\n \u201cPersonally, I just come to the mall a lot before the whole entire thing happened. I really think it\u2019s not fair,\u201d said teen Nazier Davis. \u201cI understand all the commotions and stuff that be happening on weekends in the mall, but I don\u2019t know if I really feel like they should take that back.\u201d<\/p>\n Mall General Manager Randy Bowman announced the policy on Wednesday and said he doesn\u2019t expect it to hurt business.<\/p>\n Some store owners said the policy is overdue and could help reverse declining foot traffic, which they blame on large, unsupervised teen crowds in recent months.<\/p>\n \u201cI really want everyone wants to feel safe\u2014family to feel safe\u2014to start shopping again and without having to worry about teenagers walking around causing chaos,\u201d said Mina Ray, owner of Empress Energy.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s a great idea,\u201d said Joel Bryan, owner of Swag Tees. \u201cActually, you have a lot of unsupervised teenagers these days, and without any kind of direction or sense of guidance, it\u2019ll allow so many possibilities.\u201d<\/p>\n