Clampdown begins on Lenox Square’s youngest shoppers
Atlanta GA Set 24 2021 Beefing up security has been a focus for the popular mall, which has been the scene of multiple shootings over the past two years
When the clock struck 3 p.m. Tuesday, nothing in Lenox Square seemed to change.
Shoppers continued to peruse the posh shopping mall and wait in line to enter high-end designer stores while classical music played in the background.
But that was the hour the mall’s new “youth supervision program” went into effect, meaning anyone under 18 years old had to be accompanied by their parent or an adult 21 or older.
The policy, announced earlier in September, is the mall’s response to rising crime in Buckhead and several shootings that have taken place on Lenox property, including one over the summer that ended in the arrest of two 15-year-olds.
Black signs explaining the new policy were placed near entrances and intersections throughout the mall, but few shoppers were seen stopping to read them.
At a glance, it didn’t appear that there were any unsupervised teenagers for security to question or escort off the property but there was plenty of security. Multiple guards were posted at the main entrance to the mall, and shoppers passed more security members around most corners and escalators.
“Their security spending is exponentially up over two years ago,” Atlanta Councilman Howard Shook, who represents Lenox’s district, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “This is in keeping with sort of all these other changes they’ve made, which is to have the mall be a welcoming and positive experience.”
After shootings at Lenox began to dominate headlines in 2020 and tarnish the mall’s reputation as a high-end, luxury shopping destination, management has installed weapons detectors, hired off-duty Atlanta police officers to patrol and even allowed police to open a mini-precinct inside the mall.
Despite the efforts, violence still took place on mall property this year. The two 15-year-olds, a boy and a girl, face a slew of charges after being accused of shooting and critically injuring a security guard during a robbery in June. Two months later, a man told police he had been shot near a mall parking garage, and investigators believe he was targeted. Both shootings happened after 3 p.m.
Allied Universal, the company hired to provide security for Lenox, did not respond to requests for comment. The mall’s owner Simon Property Group also declined to comment about the policy and barred reporters and photographers from being on mall property Tuesday afternoon.
Lenox has long been a staple of metro Atlanta’s retail scene and a popular destination for shoppers from Buckhead and throughout the city. Because of that, the recent crimes at Lenox and the brashness with which some have occurred have become flashpoints in the larger discussions around violence and safety in the city.
They have also served as fuel for the controversial Buckhead cityhood movement, which aims to break off the wealthy community from the city of Atlanta.
“Right now there is a complete uneasiness and a mistrust and an outright ban for people and families not allowing their loved ones to go to these malls,” said Bill White, a relatively new Buckhead resident who is spearheading the cityhood effort. “That’s a huge impact on economic development.”
White, who said he has reached out to leaders from Simon but has not spoken with them, said he isn’t confident the new policy will lead to a drop in crime at the mall.
Policing younger shoppers is the latest strategy Lenox has employed to try to bolster shoppers’ sense of safety. It isn’t a new concept in metro Atlanta.
The Mall at Stonecrest in south DeKalb County has enforced a similar program after 4 p.m. for 11 years. Atlantic Station, the mixed-use community in Midtown, also has its own youth supervision policy that’s active after 6 p.m. daily.
At Lenox, youths may have to show proof of age during the policy’s hours. Individuals who don’t have acceptable identification, such as a driver’s license, ID card or passport, will be denied entry to the mall or asked to leave the property. Teenage store employees may continue to work after 3 p.m., but they’ll need supervision once their shift is over.
A spokesman for Lividini & Co., a brand management consultant for Lenox, said the policy will be “enforced equally, fairly and in a non-discriminatory manner,” but he would not comment further.
Shook said he and other Atlanta city leaders know what Lenox represents for Buckhead, and he’ll wait and see whether cracking down on youths will make the mall safer — or mall goers feel safer.
“Lenox Square in a lot of ways is our social town square here, so it’s designed to make people feel safe and invite them to come and stay and sample the wares,” Shook said. “I hope it works.”
What is Lenox Square’s supervision policy?
- Patrons under 18 must be with a parent or adult, 21 or older, at all times after 3 p.m.
- Shoppers may be asked to provide identification, such as a driver’s license, ID care or passport, to show their age.
- One adult may accompany up to four youths.
- Store employees under 18 may continue to work after 3 p.m. However, once their shift is over, they need supervision.
ajc.com
