Last Thursday, April 5,
Julius Vaughns and I both decided that we would go down to the Town Center at Aurora to get a few comments about the mall's curfew and other issues from the public.
We were going to talk to a few people, ask them a few questions and post their comments on the Web site. While we were at it, we wanted to chat it up with a few of the mall big wigs, including the general manager and communications department. We got our chance to do that a little earlier than we expected.
I arrived around 1:45 p.m. I sat down at the food court, just across the way from the pizza shop. I called Julius to make sure he was still coming and then opened up my bag, took out a few of my fliers and my book and started to read. Julius showed up about 10 minutes later and we started to talk about our plan for the rest of the day.
That's when someone tapped Julius on the shoulder. I looked up and saw two people, a white man and a black woman. They knew Julius' name. They knew my name.
I was shocked, but I really shouldn't have been. Cyber space is a big place. People read lots of stuff on those "Internets." And we had posted on our blogs not 24 hours earlier the fact that we were going to be at the mall at 2 p.m. trying to talk to people about how they feel about the mall. It's no surprise that the mall management read our blogs, too.
They were courteous and professional. They asked us if we had received their messages that they left for us earlier in the day. We had been out of the office all morning, so we told them that we hadn't. Then they whisked us away to the mall offices in the corner of the building so we could go over their mall policies with regard to the media.
They talked to us about how they don't allow any photos to be taken in their mall or on their property. They told us that we weren't allowed to interview anyone on the grounds, either.
They told us that the mall's program to not allow kids under the age of 16 to be in the mall alone after 5 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays was not a "curfew," but rather a "Parental Escort Program," designed to keep families together on the weekend nights.
According to the pamphlet that the management gave us on the program, they have implemented this program to "create an environment that promotes safety first and foremost and to create the most family-friendly, enjoyable shopping experience possible for our customers."
Also, the pamphlet says that youth how are not 16 or older have three options if they are busted in the mall alone after 5 p.m.: They can "voluntarily" go to the Youth Communications Center and call for a ride away from the mall, they can be escorted to meet their parent or guardian somewhere in the mall with a mall representative or, if they don't want to do either one of those things, they can "be directed to leave the Town Center at Aurora premises through the nearest common-area exit."
Our time with the mall people ended after about 10 minutes. We got up to leave and were invited to stay and shop by one of our hosts. Instead, we walked back through the mall and left.
Now that we can't interview in the mall, it's all the more important that you send us your comments about the mall. We'll publish some of the comments on the Web site and in the print edition. Let us know how you feel about the curfew, the mall in general or any of the other issues that go on at the Town Center of Aurora. You can
post your own comments like the ones below, you can send them to us at
news@YourHub.com or if you want to talk to one of us, call 303-954-2631.
| YOUR COMMENTS |
I was just reading Your Hub this morning and saw your article, "Back in the day, going to the mall was fun", and I read about do-rags (my son gave my husband one of those for Christmas one year), and getting ID'd, and not being able to go there after 5 unless an adult was present. I am going to tell you my perspective on this whole thing. Here we go. First off, I am a white woman married to a Mexican-American man, and I have been profiled in stores such as Neiman-Marcus etc. See, if you are white and are in Neiman-Marcus in something other than an Armani suit you get profiled as a shop lifter. I was in jeans at the time, and this has happened to me twice there. Anyway secondly, I have lived in or around the Aurora Mall for 21 years. I have seen that mall at its height. When I was living in Arvada a long time ago my mother and I made a special trip out to Aurora to see the new mall. It was prettier back then when it was brand new. I don't shop very often at Aurora Mall anymore. I either go to Park Meadows or Southlands. I feel better at these other malls. This is why. Over the years, 21, to be exact, I have been harassed by groups of teenagers at Aurora Mall 3 different times. Unfortunately, I have to say that these teenagers have not been white or Hispanic, but African-American. Furthermore, I have not had this happen to me unless I was shopping alone. When my husband is with me, I am left alone. I have learned that the only way to shop there by myself is to drive to each store and then go in to avoid any harassment in the main mall. This is a true pain in the butt, so I have avoided Aurora Mall and have gone shopping elsewhere. When I was harassed (this was in the daytime, before 5) a group of approximately 6 or 8 African-American youths started following me, and as I started going out to my car, which was parked at Foley's (now Macy's) they continued to follow me. I had not yet exited the mall, so decided to go back and find a security guard to walk with me out to my car. The youths watched me the whole time and said some things, but I don't know what they were saying. I never smiled, looked at, or did anything I know of to get these kids attention. I never knew whether it was I that was being followed because I was a older white woman, or they were just having fun. I don't know. I am not the type to put a racial spin on this, but for me, I have decided that there is something about me being a woman, alone and white that makes it ok to harass me at the Aurora Mall. -
Annbot, April 5
The mall is not there to be a "hang out" for kids with nothing else to do. I have no problem with young people going to the mall as long as their purpose is to shop, watch a movie, etc. But, what seems to have happened along the way is that the kids are choosing the mall to hang out with their friends loitering, and yes, sometimes causing problems. Mr. Vaughns notes when he was younger it was fun to go to the mall and buy shoes etc., but todays kids aren't going to the mall to necessarily buy anything. The function of the mall seems to have changed over time. I think the changes the Town Center at Aurora made had to happen, and I believe those changes are slowly making a difference. In my opinion, if changes weren't made, many of the stores would have started to pull out. Now, I think that more stores have come in (and better quality I might add) and curbed the vacancy rate. Change is hard sometimes, but the mall could not and should not be a place to let kids wander with no supervision. -
G. Harper
The current news coverage of the "situation" at the Aurora Mall is completely biased. The problem is not that the mall is racist, the problem is that the mall is frequently full of rude individuals who make others feel threatened. Last month I had the unfortunate opportunity to go to the mall twice. On both occasions I had to navigate around large groups of teens and young adults who were standing directly in the middle of the walk-ways and in front of the stairs. They were refusing to move to make room for other shoppers. They were also using an incredible amount of foul language and racial language. I have never heard the "n" word thrown around with such ignorant abandon. Apparently, courtesy and politeness are not taught to Aurora's youth ... at least not the ones who hang out in the mall. I will NEVER spend my money in the Aurora mall again. Despite the fact that I am an Aurora homeowner and business owner, I will spend my money in malls that do not feel like the ghetto. If the city of Aurora ever wants to become anything other than the ugly step-child of Denver, it needs to stop worrying about being so politically correct and start worrying about creating a clean, safe mall that is not echoing with foul language and loitering bands of teens. -
Jera AubryI agree that the Aurora Town Center is guilty of racial profiling. But I can't blame them. At the time of the gang shootings, the mall was going downhill fast. People were afraid to go there, stores were closing down, and the mall was in danger of going the way of Buckingham Square. Simon Properties did what they had to to keep the mall afloat. And they did a great job of saving it, so I applaud them. The blame for racial profiling belongs to the gang members. They spread fear, and fear and prejudice are inseparable. The prejudice is not justified, but the fear is. Gangs have turned back progress toward integration 50 years. They've done more to keep negative stereotypes alive than any white supremacist or KKK member could hope to achieve. Dr. Martin Luther King died to give black people the right to shop at any mall, attend any school, live in any neighborhood, and eat at any restaurant. Those rights are being chipped away at, and the gangs are responsible. In my opinion, every time a gang member shoots another person, he is shooting Dr. King all over again. -
Ellen Gardner I have been going to the "Aurora Mall" since it first opened, and have seen many changes over the years. The improvements to the whole area have been tremendous, including a mall curfew. I feel so much safer shopping at night and leaving the mall parking lot in the dark since a curfew was instigated.
It is wonderful not having all the young kids just hanging around in groups and doing nothing. The image of the mall has improved, and because the same rules apply to ALL teenagers, how can there be any discrimination against one group? What applies to one applies to All, simple as that. I love having someone at the door checking IDs at night, keep the image of the mall as it is, and it will attract more business. -
Corr375472
After reading your article on the Aurora Mall I felt compelled to write and let you know of my experience at the mall. Once again, security and the police are being blamed for the "problems" that the youth of America are going through. Has anyone considered that they are enforcing the rules and procedures that are established by mall management? Has anyone considered that they do not think of ways to "harass" the youthful ones who roam in the mall? Is it harassment to chase an individual youth who decided to urinate from a table in the food court area? Please explain to your readers who are causing most of the problems at the mall ... youth. Youth who can not, or will not conform to the rules that the security and police are there to enforce. My wife and I did not go to the Aurora Mall for years due to the "gang-bangers" and "Wannabes" that infested the area. We are all in favor of the policies that are in place banning the wearing of certain colors, hats, etc. that denote "gangs". For you, "Back in the day" going to the mall was fun because of your youthful ways, for us, the older generation, it was a pain walking around listening to the youth yelling at each other, crowding the walk way forcing you to move or face confrontation, or watching the misguided youth engage in the manly art of fighting. A mall is the gathering of several stores under one roof in the business of making money. The Simon company has spent millions to entice consumers back to the mall. If customers do not feel safe, then they will not do business in the area, thus providing another "blight" area. After all, this mall or any mall in the United States is not is not equipped to baby sit children while the parents do something else. It should not be the responsibility of security and police to watch your children. -
Ed DeverellI am a senior citizen. I feel a lot safer. I'm glad they've put some restrictions in the mall. The teenagers do fight sometimes and I think it's a good idea what they have done. -
Anonymous caller I have two kids, ages 9 and 11. I feel a lot safer now that all the changes have been put in place. Before the changes happened, I was really afraid to take them to the mall. I felt intimidated. Keep in mind, I'm Hispanic so I'm not prejudice against anybody. But seeing a lot of teenagers in one corner; they just look at you, and it just didn't feel right. It's a better environment now and we can have fun there. I do think this is a change for the better. -
Anonymous caller |