Fayette Mall in Lexington adds cameras, partially bans unsupervised youths

New exterior and interior cameras and a weekend night ban on unsupervised youths will be used to increase safety at Fayette Mall after customer feedback and shootings, the center announced Wednesday.

The ban on unsupervised youths is intended to reverse the increasing number of them “hanging out at the mall and related disturbances,” according to the mall.

“Through feedback from our community, including shoppers and retailers that have voiced concerned about inappropriate behavior” the new policy was adopted, said Myron Worley, the mall’s general manager.

Beginning March 20, those under 18 will have to be accompanied by a parent or guardian 21 years of age or older on Friday and Saturday nights after 4 p.m.

Teenage employees of mall businesses will be issued identification to distinguish them from unaccompanied youths.

The ban wasn’t embraced by all. Some argued only the kids causing trouble should be targeted.

“I don’t think you realize how much money ‘unescorted teens’ spend in the mall. This will most certainly cause many of the businesses to fold. Perhaps better security would have been the answer rather than this policy,” Melissa Crawford Murphey said in a post on the mall’s Facebook page.

“Not all of the teens are unruly. Some are actually spending money they earned themselves and not causing any trouble, like my daughter,” said Jackie Walden.

Shopping center also improves surveillance

The safety measures also include a new “state-of-the-art camera system” covering the mall’s inside and outside areas with on- and off-site monitoring possible.

It will be an “invaluable tool for our security team and law enforcement,” Worley said.

Previously the mall has not disclosed much about its security steps. It acknowledged the cameras and youth policy were part of “many measures that ... management has put into place over the last several months as part of ongoing reviews of security protocol.”

The measures also follow some incidents of gun violence. Three people were shot outside Bar Louie in July 2019. LaPorscha Stringer was shot and killed at a mall exit onto Nicholasville Road in August.

In December, a large disturbance with several dozen youths was reported in the food court area, according to Herald-Leader news partner WKYT.

This story was originally published February 26, 2020 at 11:33 AM with the headline "Fayette Mall in Lexington adds cameras, partially bans unsupervised youths."