Providence Place Mall Bans Teens Without Adults After 5 PM in New Security Plan
Starting March 24, 2025, Providence Place Mall won’t let anyone under 18 enter without an adult after 5 p.m. The tough new rules also keep students out during school hours.
Security guards will ask young visitors who look underage for ID. Those who can’t show proper ID will have to leave right away. Each adult supervisor, who needs to be at least 21, can look after up to three teens.
“The safety and well-being of our community are our top priorities,” said John Dorsey to ABC6 in Providence.
The mall put up 13 new rules for visitors. Groups bigger than four people can’t hang around in one area. The mall won’t put up with disruptive behavior and has banned smoking everywhere on the property.
Teens without adults can still visit between the end of school and 5 p.m. on weekdays. Weekend visits also end at 5 p.m. – way earlier than they used to allow.
Two violent incidents in the Skybridge area during winter 2024-2025 led to these changes. In response, the mall set up security stations and beefed up security around the walkway.
The mall now has better cameras and more security guards walking around. Outside experts are still looking over all safety measures. Mall leaders are trying to hire more security companies to help keep everyone safe.
Steven Brown, who runs Rhode Island’s ACLU chapter, doesn’t see any legal problems with the teen rules. Since they only affect minors, discrimination laws don’t really help in public places.
By spring, crews will finish updating all parking areas. New payment systems and gates should fix the garage problems that have bugged shoppers for years.
Mark Russo is working with John Dorsey to oversee these changes. Their team is working hard on both security issues and building improvements.
