This year, as our community prepares to celebrates another “spooktacular” Halloween, please be mindful that there will be several events across Hamilton County occurring on various nights beginning tonight, Friday, October 25^th and concluding on or about Thursday, October 31^st. These events include church Trunk-or-Treats, neighborhood trick-or-treating, and community programs.

The safety of our community’s children is very important to the men and women of the HCSO and we would like to offer the following safety precautions to parents in order to help protect our community’s children.

During the time frame above, please be mindful when driving after dark as small children may be canvassing your neighborhood looking for tasty treats.

If your neighborhood has a Neighborhood Watch or Homeowners Association, it is encouraged to place signs coming in and out of the subdivision informing residents which night Halloween will be officially celebrated to increase

driver awareness.

When trick-or-treating, parents should remember the following safety precautions:

For Families and Trick-or-Treaters:

·         Children should always trick-or-treat with an adult, especially those under the age of 12

·         If kids are mature enough to be out without supervision, they should stick to familiar areas that are well lit and trick-or-treat in groups

·         Know the area your children are trick-or-treating in and if there are any sexual predators in that particular neighborhood or area

·         Do not eat any candy that is not properly wrapped or appears suspicious

·         Parents should look and sort through all candy received to check for problems or suspicious items

·         Tell your children to NEVER go inside someone’s house they don’t know

·         Make sure you children’s costumes are visible and have reflective markings, flashlights and/or glow lights

·         Avoid costumes that are all black and blend into the darkness, especially those without proper reflective gear

·         Always use non-toxic Halloween make-up (Make sure to test in small area first to avoid allergic reactions)

·         Give your children flashlights to help light their way and make them more noticeable to oncoming traffic

·         Remember to cross the street at corners, using traffic signals and crosswalks

·         Teach your children to “Look left, right and left again” when crossing and keep looking as you cross

·         Put electronic devices down and keep heads up and walk, don’t run, across the street

·         Teach children to make eye contact with drivers before crossing in front of them

·         Always walk on sidewalks or paths. If there are no sidewalks, walk facing traffic as far to
the left as possible

·         Children should walk on direct routes with the fewest street crossings

·         Watch for cars that are turning or backing up. Teach children to never dart out into the street or cross between parked cars

For Vehicle Drivers:

·         Slow down and be especially alert in residential neighborhoods. Remember children are excited on Halloween and may move in unpredictable ways

·         Take extra time to look for kids at intersections, on medians, and on curbs

·         Enter and exit driveways, neighborhoods, and alleyways slowly and carefully

·         Eliminate any distractions inside your car so you can concentrate on the road and your surroundings

·         Drive slowly, anticipate heavy pedestrian traffic and turn your headlights on earlier in the day to spot children from greater distances

·         Popular trick-or-treating hours are 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. so be especially alert for kids during those hours

If you have any questions regarding safety tips for a safe Halloween, please contact your local law enforcement agency.