“Halloween can be exciting for children and adults. Halloween Parties, Trick or Treating, Fall Festivals and Haunted Houses are all enjoyable.  However, I want to remind you to not let your guard down when it comes to safety. Halloween is one of my favorite times of year but it also raises my concern for your safety.”

Trick or Treating for example.   We all think about the obvious: check the candy before eating, carry a flashlight, wear reflective or bright colors, don’t accept rides from stranger, etc. Yes, these are correct and we should follow them, but there is more to overall safety than just these precautions.

• Reminder to motorists to strive for the safe operation of their vehicle;  WATCH THAT CHILD and SLOW DOWN.
• Call the Sheriff’s Department immediately if you see anything that seems out of the ordinary.
• Even if you don’t have children trick or treating you can contribute to the safety of your neighborhood by being visible and an extra eyes and ears for law enforcement.
• If you participate in Halloween activities or adult parties please designate a driver.
• Children should obey all pedestrian safety laws: wait for green lights, walk, never run into the street, look left, right then left again before entering the street traffic. Cross only at street corners and never between parked cars.

In other notes:

The local police departments are asking parents to check the sex offender registry for potentially dangerous offenders living in their neighborhoods.

To check your neighborhood, visit http://www.icrimewatch.net/indiana.php.

Click on your county, then enter in your address. The website will show you how many sex offenders live within a specified radius of your home, what their names are, and what they look like. Don’t want to scare anyone with the results but its a reality and as parents, we need to be prepared for everyone safety.

Additionally, many communities, schools and churches offer children safe alternatives to trick-or-treating designed to keep children safely within parents’ view. Some hospitals and schools allow children to trick-or-treat by going from room to room virtually eliminating the dangers associated with being out walking on the street after dark.