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Two shopping malls in Maryland will begin enforcing a juvenile curfew next week after a string of violent incidents at the properties.
Westfield Montgomery in Bethesda and Westfield Wheaton said the new policy will take effect Monday, Sept. 28. Under the rules, anyone younger than 18 must be accompanied by an adult to enter either mall after 3 p.m., according to FOX 5 DC.
Security 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.
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The policy follows multiple violent incidents at the malls over the past year.
At Westfield Wheaton, a 17-year-old allegedly shot and injured a 13-year-old boy near a children’s play area on July 31. An armed mall security officer detained the suspect until police arrived, and the teen was later charged as an adult, FOX 5 reported.
Earlier this year, nine teenagers were arrested after authorities said they stabbed another teen inside a bathroom at Westfield Wheaton, according to the outlet.
On Christmas Day last year, investigators said masked suspects — some believed to be juveniles — burglarized more than two dozen stores at the mall, FOX 5 reported.
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Westfield Montgomery also experienced a fight involving teenagers earlier this summer after someone reportedly displayed a gun, according to the outlet.
The new policy has received mixed reactions from shoppers. Some said a 3 p.m. curfew is too early, arguing it prevents students from gathering at the mall after school while many parents are still at work.
Others said the changes are necessary in light of the recent violence, according to FOX 5.
The move also comes amid heightened concerns over juvenile crime across the Washington metropolitan area.
Earlier this year, a chaotic “juvenile takeover” disrupted the Navy Yard neighborhood in Washington, D.C., as hundreds of teens flooded the area, sparking fights, robberies and gunfire.
In May, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro vowed to crack down on juveniles who commit violent crimes in the nation’s capital, as well as their parents, after another violent brawl at a Chipotle restaurant in Navy Yard.
Westfield Montgomery and Westfield Wheaton could not immediately be reached by FOX Business for comment.
