By Sara Beth Williams–
Students under 18 are now required to be accompanied by a guardian at a local Dollar General store after what the store manager described as ongoing problems involving harassment, theft, and disruptive behavior by groups of teenagers.
A bright pink handwritten sign was posted on the front doors of the store last week, indicating that anyone under 18 must enter with a parent or guardian. The policy follows what manager Suzanne Bright said has been a steady increase in incidents involving middle school and high school students gathering at the store in large groups and harassing employees.
Bright said groups of teens, often arriving between about 2:45 p.m. and 4:45 p.m. after the school day ends, have been entering the store daily, stealing large quantities of merchandise, and causing problems for employees.
“They come in and harass my cashiers,” Bright said, adding that sometimes they would steal up to $100 in merchandise daily, and when cashiers try to interfere, they would get in employees’ faces.
According to Bright, staff members have also dealt with teens “playing TikTok games” with workers by allegedly recording their interactions with employees for TikTok videos. Though Bright said she is unsure exactly what the online trends involved specifically.
Bright also said the store has surveillance footage of the various students that come in and harass store employees or steal, adding that store employees also document incidents and are sharing photos with local schools and with parents. According to Bright, some parents have also begun contacting school administrators directly.
“We would rather talk to the teachers, parents, and principals,” she said. “We’re trying to keep it as civil as possible. If it keeps happening, we will go to the police.” No police reports have been filed yet, Bright said.
The store is currently waiting for corporate offices to send a permanent printed sign for the new age restriction policy. The store already enforces rules prohibiting anyone from carrying backpacks or taking bicycles inside while shopping. Bikes must be left outside, and backpacks can be left at the cashier’s counter.
The manager said the problems appeared to worsen after the nearby Dutch Bros coffee shop location opened, drawing larger crowds of teens to the area. According to Bright, other neighboring businesses are also experiencing issues with groups of teens and that the students frequently ride e-bikes throughout the parking lot and in front of vehicles.
“One of our vendors almost hit one on an e-bike,” Bright said.
The new policy is intended to reduce or eliminate disruptions and improve safety for employees and customers, as well as reduce the incidents of shoplifting. So far, Bright said other parents who shop in the store regularly have expressed their support of the new policy. She says parents now wait inside the store without complaint while their teens shop.
“We’ll see what happens,” Bright said, adding that they are continuing to investigate and share the identities of the students with local school sites in order to hopefully collaborate on finding a solution.
