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Safe on Halloween

While Halloween can be great fun for kids, it is not a favorite holiday for police officers and dispatchers. In fact, it can be downright scary!

While it’s fun to see trick-or-treaters wearing their costumes, Halloween also brings out the darker side of some people, and it is this side that requires everyone in law enforcement to be on their toes. While our dispatchers frantically answer 911 calls, our police officers race from call to call to keep people from hurting each other or someone else.

To have a happy and safe Halloween, please read the tips below.

Replica Firearms

Please do not allow your child to carry a toy weapon that looks real as part of a costume. Toy guns, swords, or knives should only be allowed if it is obvious that they are, in fact, toys.

Last year, a 13-year-old Santa Rosa boy was shot and killed after deputies repeatedly told him to put down what they believed to be an assault rifle. He was carrying a toy gun. It’s never a good idea to allow children to play with toys that can be mistaken for real weapons, but it is especially dangerous on Halloween when law enforcement officers are already on high alert.

Trick-or-Treaters

If your children go trick-or-treating, please make sure a responsible adult is present. Stick to neighborhoods you know and bring a flashlight. If the costume doesn’t have reflective properties, add reflective tape – this will help cars see children if they dart into the street.

If a mask obscures a child’s vision, have the child pull the mask on for the trick-or-treat moment, and then remove it to avoid trips or falls on poorly lit sidewalks.

And most importantly, after kids have collected their loot, an adult should inspect the candy and discard any that is unwrapped or appears to be tampered with.

Never Go Into a Home

Trick-or-Treaters (and the adults who supervise them) should not go inside a stranger’s home, even for a minute. Remain on the porch at all times. And hopefully it goes without saying that children should never accept rides from strangers.

Safe Driving in Neighborhoods

Exercise extreme caution when driving around on Halloween after dark. Be on the alert for excited youngsters darting out into traffic, who may have their vision obscured by a mask.

• Drive slowly and cautiously.

• Look for children walking in the street, running across the street, or     darting out between parked vehicles.

• Be extra careful when entering and exiting driveways.

• Minimize distractions (especially using cell phones) while driving.

Drunk Driving

For young (and not-so-young) adults who attend parties where alcohol is served, be sure someone is identified as a designated driver for the evening, so everyone gets home safely.

About every 52 minutes someone is killed in a drunk driving crash, and about every 90 seconds someone is injured due to this entirely preventable crime. Our department always adds officers on Halloween night to keep our community safe, so if you drink and drive, don’t complain when we take you to jail.

Staying Safe at Home

If you are a pet owner, remember that Halloween can be spooky for pets, too. Keep the family dog away from unfamiliar trick-or-treaters.

If you do not welcome trick-or-treaters, don’t forget to turn off your porch light. This is the universal sign to children that they should not knock on your door on Halloween. If your porch light is on but there is no candy, pranksters may be tempted to respond inappropriately.

Some people use Halloween as an excuse to behave badly. If you are concerned do not hesitate to report that activity to us. We would rather address a situation early than deal with damage after it’s done.

As always, our mission at UPD is simple: to make Ukiah as safe as possible. If you have suggestions on how we can improve please feel free to call me. If you would like to know more about crime in your neighborhood, you can sign up for telephone, cell phone and email notifications by clicking the Nixle button on our website: www.ukiahpolice.com. 

 


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