A Report On The Shopping Mall Parking Lot At A Shopping Center

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Cruisers
Merchants at a shopping center have turned in repeated complaints against teenagers cruising the mall parking lot, having said it creates overwhelming traffic on weekends. The City Merchants’ Association pressured city council to pass an ordinance against cruising, however, the definition of cruising is vague and open-ended. Police officers issued warnings before giving citations, but the situation has declined further due to rising hostilities between the teenagers and patrol officers. A workable solution must be found and presented to Captain Adams in three days.
The Rights of Each Group
The merchants at the shopping mall have a right to a safe, comfortable shopping area and being able to sell their merchandise without bored teenagers driving away business. Shoppers are entitled to go shopping without being harassed my teenagers or being caught in unnecessary traffic created by teenage traffic. They’re also entitled to visit the mall without feeling uncomfortable or threatened by teenagers cruising the parking lot. The parents of these teenagers have the right to look after their children’s well-being and safety. It’s the right of a parent to defend their child against unnecessary roughness or harassment at the hands of police officers. As for the teenagers, they’re entitled to have fun and go to the mall, however, there 're multiple areas within the mall the kids can hang out in, such as food courts or small chain stores.
The most ethical group in this situation would be the city judge. The judge should have been consulted before the passing of this new ordinance because the judge will have to hand down the punishments. The city judge is unwilling to back this new ordinance due to concerns about t...

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...rom and hear the perspective of an officer. My meeting with these kids would be modeled around how Sgt. Ericson of Elgin PD handled the situation of loitering kids (https://youtu.be/ao8mz_hDVvQ). He talked to the teenagers in a relaxed, one-on-one manner and treated the kids with respect. By doing this, Officer Ericson was showing them that he cared about what they had to say. I would try and do the same because I felt like Ericson did a great job in getting his message across to the kids. Listening to the cruising teenagers and explaining the situation may prove to be a very beneficial course of action. I’d show the kids that I do care about them and understand wanting to have fun, but their actions create problems for my officers as well as myself. If talking face-to-face doesn’t solve the issue then I’d be forced to issue citations to the cruising teenagers.

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