INDIANAPOLIS -- At malls across the area, shoppers are focused on finding sales and saving money, while mall operators are focused on safety and security.
But are the rules meant for protection clear and easy to follow?
Lisa Patterson found out her son had been arrested for trespassing at Castleton Square Mall -- but she's still scratching her head trying to figure out what led to that arrest.
Her son Corey and two other friends had just finished eating at the food court when a security guard approached them.
"They were like 'What are you guys doing?'" Corey said. "I was like, 'We're not doing nothing.' They were like, 'Exactly, that's why you need to leave.'"
Corey and his friends, all under the age of 16, complied with the security guard and left the mall. But because none of them could drive, they say they were waiting for a ride when the police showed up.
"We were outside the mall and waiting for them," Corey said. "They just put us in cuffs."
The three teenagers were charged with criminal trespassing, but the police report doesn't give any details from the other side.
Simon Malls declined to respond to questions about the incident.
Corey's mom even called Castleton Square Mall herself. The only thing they told her is that the boys didn't follow mall rules.
"it just hurts that you teach them to do the right things," Patterson said. "He's a good kid. He didn't have weapons, they didn't have drugs. They weren't being rowdy. They weren't playing around. They were sitting down. Why were you watching them on camera and why did you approach them on a bench? It just hurts."
But what are the policies? Simon Malls owns Castleton, Fashion, and the Circle Centre Mall, as well as 300 more across the U.S.
The only rules are a short list of polices on their website, which lists things like no solicitation, no weapons, and no loitering. But Simon Malls doesn't go into detail on any of them, or describe what happens if you break those rules. The policies go on to say any local mall can change their code of conduct at any time.
Simon Malls declined to further discuss their policies. They wouldn't confirm the teens are banned from the mall, but police say it's a common practice.
IMPD says Simon Malls are considered private property.
"It's up to their protocols, their roles and their list, but they can trespass a person from their property, like someone else could trespass a person from their property," officer Genae Cook said.
Police advise parents to make sure they chaperone their kids when they're at the mall.
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