Keeping It Safe On Halloween

By Natalie Mollinet | [email protected]

Halloween night is a fun time for kids. Who wouldn’t like dressing up as your favorite superhero or princess, going door to door and getting free candy? But, on the flipside, Halloween can also be a crazy night for parents and police, as children dart across dark streets and older teens and adults hold parties, often involving alcohol. 

Detective Joshua Ashdown knows all about the good and bad on Halloween in Sugar House. He and Salt Lake City Police want to help your children be safe as well as have fun on All Hallows’ Eve. Here are just some tips that SLCPD suggest to parents and trick-or-treaters. 

When it comes to costumes, Salt Lake Police suggests doing the following: 

• Choose to wear bright colors, or wear reflective tape to increase visibility. 

• Use makeup instead of a mask. Masks can make it harder for your children to see and can create a hazard when children wear them. 

• On the inside of your children’s costume, put their name, address and phone number in case there is an accident or your child gets lost. 

“Surprisingly, DUI’s are very high on Halloween and the week before,” Ashdown said. “This is a bad combination with children out walking around, which is why wrapping up the trick or treating by 9 p.m. is probably a good idea.”

After your child has their costume on, there are some tips to keep trick-or-treating safe. Travel in groups and use a flashlight. Make sure that as parents you are helping your kids cross the street. Other suggestions from SLCPD are: 

• Plan out a route that will be followed

• Walk on sidewalks when provided. If they aren’t available, consider another route or walk facing oncoming traffic. 

• Never take shortcuts through alleys, backyards or fields. 

• Instruct children not to enter strange cars or homes.

• Avoid trick-or-treating in areas and at homes with which you are not familiar. 

After a safe evening of trick-or-treating, it’s time to dump all that sugary goodness out of the pillowcases and onto the floor. But before the mad candy eating rush starts, SLCPD suggests some things to keep kids safe:

• Check for loose or tampered packaging. 

• Discard open candy and fruit.

• If fruit is to be eaten, wash and cut it into small bite-sized portions to allow for internal inspection. 

• Avoid consuming homemade treats unless a parent can be certain of the source. 

Keeping one’s home safe on Halloween is also important, according to Ashdown. Sometimes, the holiday brings out some rowdy kids, which can lead to mischief and vandalism. To avoid any damage happening to your house and those in your house on Halloween, SLCPD suggests the following: 

• Turn on exterior home lights.

• Keep walkways free of obstruction. 

• Don’t allow anyone into your home you don’t know. 

There are other safe ways to get your candy on Halloween such as trunk-or-treat and family parties. For those who are driving on this night, slow down and look out for children darting out into the street. Keep your lights on and be aware and if you see vandalism or suspicious activity in your area, contact SLCPD. 

Salt Lake police wants families to be safe and have fun on Halloween and, of course, to enjoy the candy and try not to eat it all in one night.