Starting Saturday, dropping your kids off at Kings Island will not be as simple of a task anymore.
The park has put a new chaperone policy into place because of an increase in unruly behavior.
>>Kings Island implementing chaperone policy beginning this weekend; What you need to know
Last weekend, a 17-year-old was arrested at King’s Island by an off-duty Mason Police officer for bringing a concealed automatic handgun early Saturday evening.
The teen was charged with Having Weapons Under Disability, Receiving Stolen Property, Obstruction of Official Business, and Criminal Trespass.
News Center 7′s Kayla McDermott spoke with parents Friday night about what they think of the policy.
Starting at 4 p.m. Saturday, children under 15-years-old will need a chaperone who is at least 21 year-old to stay with them to get into Kings Island.
McDermott says Kings Island has had its fair share of violent behavior in recent years.
>>17-year-old arrested for bring automatic handgun to King’s Island
“I do notice a lot of big groups of kids, you know, and you hear them, having a hard time controlling them,” said Jamie Berg.
He remembers a time when that type of behavior did not happen.
“Things were different back then, you know,” Berg told McDermott.
To keep people safe, the park is putting the chaperone policy into place.
“Does it make you feel at all a little bit better?” McDermott asked Berg.
“The only thing that makes me feel better is that maybe the lines will be shorter,” he said.
>>Kings Island opens Saturday; new attractions to come this summer
Omar Macias has a 14-year-old son. He says his son can’t go to Kings Island with his friends like he used to but he understands the park’s reasoning.
“All this is for to make it a more safe environment for the kids,” said Macias. “So, I think that’s fine. The only thing is, we have only 24 hours in a day.”
But some wonder how will the park monitor the chaperones?
“I just don’t see how they’re going to enforce it,” said Berg.
News Center 7 reached to Kings Island about this policy and asked if this will be permanent.
Nobody with the park was available on camera Friday night.
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