COLORADO SPRINGS — If you have been to the Chapel Hills Mall in Colorado Springs this summer, you may have seen these bright yellow signs on a few entrances.
The signs say anyone under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult to enter the mall. News5 is learning this policy is only meant to keep misbehaving teens off the premises, clearing up confusion for parents who regularly drop their teens off at the mall.
A Chapel Hills Mall security guard said teens will not be asked for identification upon entering the mall. The guard said mall security only enforces the rule for teens who cause trouble.
Russell and Zakiya Moss, co-owners of Drip Queen Coffee in the Chapel Hills Mall, said they see some teens loitering, disrupting businesses, and even vandalizing escalators, causing them to break down. They said only one escalator in the whole mall is operating.
"Now that school has been back in that problem has gone down quite a bit," said Zakiya. "They've also been running into other businesses and causing a little trouble, not necessarily any vandalism, but just disrupting what the day-to-day business and routine of that business that's going on."
We reached out to the Chapel Hills Mall manager for more clarification on the signs and reports of vandalism inside the mall but did not get a response back.
The Moss' said they have not noticed a major difference since the signs were posted, but said it is a step toward protecting businesses.
"It's good to have it up there. It gives people a second chance and an opportunity to look and maybe second think of leaving their kids here and say you know, they have a sign here maybe we shouldn't do it," said Russell.
The Chapel Hills Mall security guard said the mall has had the signs up since before summer. The guard said The Citadel Mall has had the same signs posted since the pandemic.
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