(Editor’s Note: Below is a letter to the editor that first appeared in the Wilmington Town Crier on June 28, 2023 and re-published here at the urging of several readers)
To the editor,
Ah, summer is finally here! The weather is getting warmer, gardens are blooming, the kids are out of school…
Oh, yeah… the kids are out of school.
While area students are undoubtedly excited about this, probably many area retailers are not.
Early release days always presented problems with unruly young customers, but now bored, unsupervised juveniles have all summer to visit the stores of the Plaza and Wilmington Crossing wreaking havoc wherever they go. Groups of tweens and teens enter stores being loud, rude and often destructive.
Just this past week, two kids were seen having “light saber” battles with broom handles and several bottles of hand cream were emptied out all over the shelves. Eggs were completely crushed inside a carton. Bags of candy were found half-eaten and discarded throughout the store, and frozen items were deliberately placed where they would thaw and spoil. Mind you, school hadn’t even been out for a week at this point.
Admittedly, this isn’t exactly grand larceny, but it is a situation that needs to be acknowledged and addressed. Merchandise is being destroyed or stolen on a regular basis and the frequency with which it is occurring is increasing. Not only is money being lost in the form of merchandise, but also in terms of man hours involved in clean up.
Please take note, Wilmington. Check out the police logs, the Apple, and even the Wilmington Community Facebook page to get some idea of the scope of this issue. This own has a problem and it can no longer be brushed off as “kids will be kids.” Parents, don’t think your kids couldn’t possibly behave this way. We witness these actions every day. Talk to your children and make them understand that this is unacceptable behavior.
No one wants to have to ban unaccompanied kids from the store or call the police constantly. It’s also unfair to the kids who ARE acting responsibly. However, it’s also unfair to our employees who are scrambling to serve our customers, keep shelves stocked, and keep the store looking clean and presentable — all with a smile on our faces.
Sincerely,
The employees of the Dollar Tree, Wilmington
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