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Mayor Sam Joshi urges security overhaul at Menlo Park Mall after teen brawl
The Indian American mayor is pressing Simon Property Group, the Indianapolis-based owner of the mall in New Jersey, to take responsibility for the May 17 violence.
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Pranavi Sharma - Thu, 22, May 2025
- 01:36 EDT
- 0
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Mayor Sam Joshi with police chief Tom Bryan. / Central New Jersey News
Mayor Sam Joshi of Edison, New Jersey, is calling for immediate security changes at Menlo Park Mall following a massive teen gathering that led to a brawl and required police intervention from nine departments.
According to Central New Jersey News, the incident unfolded on May 17 around 8 p.m., after a single TikTok post prompted over 300 teenagers to descend on the mall. Edison Police were notified of the crowd and reported a fight breaking out inside.
"At approximately 8PM the Edison Police Dept was notified that over 300 youth were gathered at Menlo Park mall and a brawl ensued," Joshi posted on Instagram. "At least 4 have been arrested. No weapons were confirmed at the incident and no injuries to juveniles at this time."
Authorities eventually arrested seven juveniles, including one charged with assaulting a police officer. Six others face disorderly persons and failure to disperse charges. Cellphone videos from the scene showed teens running through the food court, shouting, and clashing with each other and police.
Police Chief Tom Bryan told Central New Jersey News the crowd took about an hour and 20 minutes to disperse and confirmed that one officer was injured. There was no reported property damage.
Joshi is pressing Simon Property Group, the Indianapolis-based owner of the mall, to take responsibility. “Changes needed to be made within Menlo Park Mall and Simon Properties and we will continue to work with them until that happens,” the mayor said in a statement according to Central New Jersey News.
He is demanding license plate readers, more surveillance cameras, and additional security personnel. He also suggested the mall adopt a teen curfew similar to other shopping centers in the region.
“We also are considering, and this will require a second conversation with senior management of Simon Malls, whether we should push them to have a curfew at the mall,” Joshi said.
The mayor also criticized parents for allowing their children to travel long distances to Edison. “What are the parents doing? Aren’t the parents aware that they’re traveling 40-45 minutes to cause a disturbance within Edison?” he asked.
Police are also investigating the TikTok user who posted the original meetup. While no charges have been filed, Joshi said “everything is on the table” and noted the video’s purpose appeared to be generating social media content.
Joshi said a police substation at the mall has helped reduce response times, but emphasized that mall security remains the responsibility of Simon Properties.
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