Vickki Dozier

Lansing State Journal

DELTA TOWNSHIP – Starting this week, no one under the age of 17 will be allowed in the Lansing Mall on Friday and Saturday evenings unless they are accompanied by an adult age 21 or older.

The program, which will also include the introduction of family events on those nights, is “in response to the local community's feedback regarding the number of unsupervised youths at the mall on Friday and Saturday nights,” Rouse Properties, owner of the Lansing Mall, said in a statement sent to the Lansing State Journal.

Unsupervised children and teenagers won’t be permitted to remain in the mall after 6 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. One supervising adult may accompany up to 6 young people, all of whom must remain with that adult.

The policy does not cover stores and restaurants with exterior entrances.

“We've been there, and left, because of pre- and teenage out-of-control behavior,” said Vickie Boutwell Blankenship of DeWitt. “Loud, obnoxious, running in and out of stores, throwing things, pants down under the nether-regions, and vulgar conversations."

Blankenship said she would definitely shop more on weekend nights now.

“It's much easier to shop when you don't have to fight your way through a crowd of children,” she said. “It should be physically safer as well — no more getting run over by children playing keep-away with store merchandise.”

There are two entrances to the mall located by the Regal Stadium 12 & RPX theater that teens are permitted to use to access the theater. There will be security preventing them from going into the main mall unless accompanied by a supervisor, according to Rouse Properties.

"Our top priority is the well-being of our customers, retailers and employees and to provide them with a pleasant shopping experience in a safe and family-friendly environment,” the Rouse Properties statement says.

Allena Tapia of Grand Ledge has a daughter who spends a lot of time at the mall. "I think I understand their motivation, unfortunately I have a 15-year-old, almost 16-year-old daughter who spends a lot of time and money there during her scant free time," said Tapia. "It's unfortunate that it punishes her, too. One of her main activities is using her own money and shopping and hanging out with her friends. That kind of takes away from all the kids.

"My daughter is almost 16," she said. "She s a couple months from driving herself and having her own car. In my mind, if she's responsible enough to drive herself around and have her own vehicle, she’s responsible enough to go and buy her own wardrobe with her allowance. But apparently not everybody’s like that."

Family Night events listed on the Lansing Mall's website include: Valentine’s Day photo and craft event on Feb. 12; face painting on Feb. 19; a juggling performance on Feb. 20; family game night on Feb. 26 and a celebration of musical arts on Feb. 27. Each of those events runs from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

"I think it is something that is long overdue, to be honest," Alanah Martinez said. "I am 27 years old, and, when I used to go to the mall with my friends, there used to be some drama, but now, you walk in and it’s like you almost have to walk right back out."

Martinez is a Lansing resident and the mother of a two-year-old. "When he was a baby, we went to the mall and there were kids cussing security guards out and pushing people. There was a fight in the food court, and I turned right back around and left. I did not want my son around this. If there is some type of adult supervision now, I would definitely go."

Contact Vickki Dozier at (517) 267-1342 or vdozier@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter@vickkiD.