The policy replaces a set of rules enacted in March 2025 while the mall was in receivership, which had allowed unaccompanied minors on weekdays after school until 5 p.m. and on weekends before 5 p.m. Under the new code, anyone under 18 must have an adult with them at all times. Children ages 6 to 16 are now completely barred during school hours unless accompanied by a parent or legal guardian — a stricter standard than the previous requirement of a chaperone aged 21 or older.

"All guests should be prepared to show valid identification (with picture and date of birth) such as a driver's license, state identification card, military ID, passport or visa," the policy states. Signs outlining the lengthy rules and behavior code have been posted throughout the mall, though the fine print on the large posters is difficult to read.

The behavior code also prohibits horseplay, shouting, loud noise, picketing, protesting, offensive language, hooded tops, ski masks, anything that deliberately obscures the face, photography, videography, pets, and group functions. A previous ban on groups of four or more congregating or walking together has been removed and replaced with language about group functions.

The mall is now owned by a partnership of Pyramid Management Group, DW Partners, and Paolino Properties. The new "enhanced security program" was developed by Pyramid at its Syracuse, New York, property, where it reportedly led to a 50% reduction in property crime and a 75% reduction in overall incidents, according to a news release.

"Law enforcement" will conduct "regular compliance sweeps and checkpoints" to identify anyone under 18 who is not with an adult and remove them from the mall, the release said. Retired state police K-9s and their handlers will be on-site during all operating hours. At other Pyramid properties, the retired dogs "have become popular ambassadors at each property, regularly greeting guests, posing for photos, and sharing collectible trading cards," according to the release.

New security officers will have law enforcement and military backgrounds, with training in defensive tactics, gang recognition, crowd control, and hazardous materials response. The mall will also increase exterior patrols and maintain 24/7 monitoring from an on-site CCTV command center.

In the release, Joseph Paolino Jr. wrote that making sure people feel "safe and welcome is fundamental to its success."

The policy targeting minors is likely legal, according to Steven Brown, executive director of the ACLU of Rhode Island. In an email to The Providence Journal, Brown noted that while private businesses are generally subject to public accommodations laws, age discrimination protections apply only to people 18 and older. "They target a group that often has some of the fewest protections against discrimination as a class – minors," he wrote.

Brown added that demanding ID from teens is lawful because they can choose to leave instead. "If security started detaining people simply for refusing to present ID and didn't give them a choice to refuse and leave the premises, that would raise different issues," he wrote.

The new rules mark a significant shift for a mall that has long served as a gathering place for local teenagers. Community advocates have raised concerns that the policy could push young people away from a supervised public space, particularly during after-school hours when the previous rules had allowed them to visit.