CHEEKTOWAGA, NY (WKBW) — In what has almost become a holiday tradition in and of itself, Cheektowaga police officers responded to the Walden Galleria Thursday evening, the day after Christmas.
Cheektowaga police captain Jeffery Schmidt told 7 News that the police presence was not in response to a specific incident at the mall. Rather, it was a coordinated and planned effort to sweep the mall at closing time, based on previous incidents on Boxing Day.
Officers arrived at the mall around 7 p.m. Thursday. There were reports that they closed the mall then, but 7 News saw shoppers still heading inside. It was scheduled to close at 8 p.m.
There is a long history of post-Christmas violence breaking out at the Walden Galleria. It stretches back at least a decade.
7 News reported that in 2014, six people were arrested following a brawl at the mall.
Fights broke out on Boxing Day in 2018, 2021 and 2023.
Cheektowaga Police also took to social media earlier tonight to remind people of the mall's policy surrounding teenage visitors. The mall said it's Parental Escort Policy (PEP) will be strictly enforced this daily from 1 p.m. until close, effective until January 3, 2025.
The department wrote, "We want to remind everyone that the Walden Galleria has a parental escort policy in effect. Every day from 1:00 PM until close, any person under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian who is 21 or older. Each 21-year-old can supervise up to five teens."
