Fights shut down a popular California amusement park. Now teens must have a chaperone
UPDATE: Knott’s Berry Farm said July 26 that it is extending its new chaperone policy. On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, visitors under the age of 18 must be supervised by an adult who is at least 21 years old.
The park said it may also begin to enforce the policy on other days of the week if necessary.
The original story is below.
A California amusement park is implementing a chaperone policy after fights among teens at the park forced its closure last week.
Visitors under the age of 18 will be required to have a chaperone who is 21 years or older accompany them at Knott’s Berry Farm on Fridays and Saturdays starting Friday, July 22, Knott’s Berry Farm announced Wednesday, July 20.
“For decades, Knott’s Berry Farm has been a place where families and friends come together to enjoy a one-of-a-kind park full of homegrown experiences and immersive entertainment,” the park said in a statement, adding that the park is committed to keeping its promise of “wholesome family fun.”
The policy change comes after “unruly behavior and altercations involving a number of teenagers” forced the Buena Park theme park to close three hours early last Saturday, July 16.
“This behavior did not align with our park’s values, and was not the experience we want any guest to have while visiting Knott’s Berry Farm,” the theme park said at the time.
Though officers later determined there was no shooting, police arrived at the park after reports of gunfire from “numerous 911 callers” on July 16, according to officials as reported by KTTV.
Three people were hurt, according to the news station.
The chaperone, who can accompany up to three underage visitors at a time, must show a valid ID, provide a phone number and accompany the minors throughout the duration of their visit.
Visitors under 18 without a chaperone may be forced to leave the park, according to the statement.
This story was originally published July 20, 2022 at 5:40 PM with the headline "Fights shut down a popular California amusement park. Now teens must have a chaperone."
