Crossgates Mall Makes Big Change To Parental Escort Policy

Effective immediately shoppers under 18 will have a limited time to be in the Upstate New York mall without a guardian. 

Many of us remember when we were teens and spending hours at the mall without our parents. Going to the movies, shopping, the food court. It was our playground as teenagers. Unfortunately for many Capital Region teens they won't get to have that experience.

Crossgates Mall had a policy in place for many years that anyone under the age of 18 needed an adult escort with them that was 21 or older after 4pm. That has been the policy since 2005. Now that policy has changed and anyone under the age of 18 will now need a parental escort with them starting at 2pm.

The mall made the official announcement to the policy change on social media Friday afternoon.

Crossgates' Parental Escort Policy (PEP) will be strictly enforced DAILY from 2:00PM until close, effective immediately. After 2:00pm, guests under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian 21 years of age or older. Thank you for your cooperation!

A previous policy had only asked that anyone under 18 have an escort on Friday and Saturday, but this new policy appears to be in place for all seven days on the week according to their website.

All shoppers should also be prepared to show a valid ID if asked to present one.

Over the years there has been increased violence at the mall, mostly involving underage teens. Also shoplifting has been on the rise all around the Capital Region. We have to assume this has to be a big reason for this shift in policy.

Crossgates Mall has been a staple location for shoppers in the Capital Region since 1984. It continues to welcome new stores such as REI, Primark and the rebranded Going Going Gone.