Hundreds of juveniles fighting inside and outside of Arden Fair Mall drew a large police presence last Saturday, shutting down the mall for the second time in a week.
Just days earlier, police responded to a similar incident of teens fighting on the day after Christmas.
According to the police report, multiple officers were already at the mall in anticipation of brawling. Still, more officers were called to respond as an estimated 200 juveniles initiated fights.
“Managing and monitoring a group of approximately 200 people is challenging," said Sacramento Police Department Public Information Officer Vance Chandler. “When something of this magnitude occurs, our police department is committed to making sure that the safety of everyone involved is our top priority."
In the past, days following Christmas is a notorious time for fighting and brawls at Arden Fair. Multiple incidents in the past have prompted increases in vigilance and added security measures.
In 2014, Sacramento police arrested two people just days after Christmas, one minor and one adult, for fighting in the mall. Arden Fair was evacuated. Two years earlier to the day, another incident of fighting led to shoppers fleeing the mall and stores going on lockdown. Though multiple people reported shots fired, police said that there was no gunplay involved. Two arrests were made this time, as well.
Mall security and Sacramento PD have made strides to combat the outbreak of violence that is expected every year around December 26.
In response to this most recent incident, Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg suggested it may be necessary to prohibit those under 18 years old from visiting the mall without adult supervision.
“It is sad that some mess it up for all, but Arden Fair is a vital economic asset for our city,” said Steinberg in a press release. “We have a responsibility to assure people the mall is safe. We cannot lose business for our City because we choose to look the other way.”
In fact, Arden Fair put this very policy into effect in 2016 for the same reason that it is again under consideration today — to prevent fighting on one of the busiest shopping days of the year.
Arden Fair established a rule on the day after Christmas that minors must be accompanied by a parent or guardian during periods of peak shopping. However, the policy came under fire when the mall was accused of racially profiling black teenagers, causing the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) to say that the policy was “illegal” and in violation of California law.
Still, mall officials stood by the policy. In a 2016 interview with ABC10, Arden Fair spokesperson Jamie Donley said that shoppers claiming uneven enforcement were mistaken.
“We are making sure every minor, regardless of race or other demographic – they’re all being told they can’t be here without a parent,” Donley said.
Other types of policies have been instituted in the past in order to reduce crime and violence in the mall. During a 2009 robbery of a small mall kiosk, the suspect wore a hoodie to block his face from security cameras, bypassing a $1.5 million security system which includes 128 cameras. Officials made the decision to prohibit patrons from wearing hoods or hiding their faces.
The rules have since been changed back, and shoppers can once again wear hoodies, but at the time, officials at Arden Fair were mainly responding to customer complaints. The dress code restricted clothing that could hide someone’s face and prohibited "sagging" pants, which required that people make sure their underwear or rear end was not exposed.
It's unclear if mall security will implement any new rules after these most recent incidents, but with Steinberg's call for added measures, it is possible that shoppers at Arden Fair will see more of the old policies in the future.
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WATCH MORE: RAW: Arden Fair Mall shut down again after fight involving several teenagers
A heavy police presence was outside of Arden Fair Mall after authorities say a fight broke out inside the mall, involving several teenagers.