Beginning Friday, those ages 15 and younger will need a chaperone after 4 p.m. inside Six Flags Over Georgia, the amusement park announced Monday.
“The safety of our guests and team members has always been our top priority at Six Flags Over Georgia,” the park told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Our guests expect and deserve a safe, family-friendly atmosphere when they visit Six Flags Over Georgia. We’re also headed into our busiest time of the year, accordingly, Six Flags Over Georgia and Six Flags Entertainment Company want to take additional measures to meet that expectation.”
The park declined to say whether the move was in response to a specific incident. A spokesperson for Cobb County police said there had been no significant crimes reported.
But the park’s opening day in March was disrupted by gunfire and fighting. A 15-year-old boy was critically injured and charged after being shot by Cobb police during an exchange of gunshots outside the park. Cobb police said they helped Six Flags security with an “unruly crowd” that swelled to about 600 people who were “running through the park and fighting.”
After the shooting, Cobb public safety officials joined Mableton Mayor Michael Owens and other community leaders to discuss ways to keep crime out of the park.
“Having a unified and cohesive collaborative response is really what saves lives, what keeps the community safe,” Public Safety Director Mike Register previously said. “It is always a work in progress. We can’t have contingencies for everything, but what we can do is have response protocols that we can adjust as a situation entails.”
The move comes as many other theme parks around the U.S., including Walt Disney World, have implemented increased security measures.
Under the new policy, all guests ages 15 and younger must be accompanied by a chaperone who is at least 21 years old in order to be admitted to or remain in the park after 4 p.m. The chaperone must present a valid government-issued photo identification with date of birth at ticket entry. One chaperone may accompany no more than 10 guests ages 15 or younger per day.
The chaperone must remain in the park and be available by phone, Six Flags said. Young guests without a chaperone will be asked to leave, park officials said. Season ticket holders are included in the new rule.
“This policy is being put in place to help ensure that all guests have a fun and enjoyable experience, and that they leave happy and eager to visit again,” Six Flags said. “We are always evaluating our safety policies and will continue to make modifications based on the needs and behaviors we are seeing in the park.”
Guests are advised to review safety policies online while planning a visit.
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