BALTIMORE (WBFF) — Concerns are mounting about safety at some of the region’s most popular shopping destinations, as a rise in juvenile crime coincides with an increase in vacant storefronts.

What were once bustling hubs for shopping, dining, and entertainment are now showing visible signs of decline.

At Towson Town Center, rows of empty storefronts line parts of the mall. The shopping center is currently operating at an estimated 26% vacancy rate, with the Apple Store and Stony River Steakhouse among the latest businesses expected to close later this summer.

Shoppers say the changes are hard to ignore.

“That place used to be filled with stores,” said one shopper.

“I’m kind of hurt about that mall, because that was a nice mall,” said another.

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But for some, it’s not just about what’s disappearing.

“I think that crime is keeping people away once the sun goes down,” another shopper said.

In recent months, several teen-related incidents have been reported at or near the mall, including fights, a stabbing inside the shopping center, and a carjacking in a nearby parking garage. Some parents say it’s enough to keep them away.

“I don’t go there, and I don’t let my teenage kids go there, among the recent incidents,” one mother said.

A similar pattern is playing out at White Marsh Mall, where empty storefronts are also becoming more common.

The area has seen its own share of juvenile-related incidents, including a recent “teen link-up” — a large gathering organized on social media — that led to multiple arrests after turning disorderly.

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And it’s not just traditional, enclosed malls feeling the impact.

In Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, long considered the city’s premier tourism and retail destination, vacancies and safety concerns are also front and center.

From dirt bikes taking over nearby streets to another recent teen gathering that ended in gunfire, some say the environment has shifted.

“It could just be the traffic. People really aren’t shopping in stores as often anymore,” said a shopper.

While experts say multiple issues are likely at play — including changing consumer habits and broader economic trends — concerns about crime, particularly involving juveniles, aren’t helping bring business back.