BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — Reports from local media indicate that the Target store situated in Bakersfield has implemented a new policy disallowing teenagers from entering the store without adult supervision after 4 p.m.
This change primarily affects the Target branch located in the Valley Plaza Mall. The reason cited for this policy alteration, as conveyed by Target employees to both KBAK and KGET news outlets, relates to concerns about incidents of shoplifting and altercations involving teenagers.
It’s worth noting that Target staff cannot request identification to verify ages, but they retain the authority to remove customers who seem to be 18 years old or younger.
This policy adjustment has sparked some controversy, with a parent expressing dissatisfaction during an interview with KBAK.
The parent’s frustration stems from her experience of her well-behaved teenagers, aged 19 and 16, being instructed to leave the store based solely on their age. She remarked, “It bothers me to think that teenagers were singled out just for being teenagers.”
It’s important to highlight that this policy is specific to the Valley Plaza Mall’s Target store and is not applicable to other establishments within the mall.
The mall’s official “code of conduct” page already prohibits activities that disrupt the family-friendly shopping environment, such as running, unruly behavior, or any form of disorderly conduct.