The DeFuniak Springs Police encourages safety and supervision during the annual Trick-or-Treat season. It is especially important for parents to adhere to a few safety rules for their children when they are trick-or-treating.
• Know your treaters' route
• Take a flashlight
• Be sure costumes, shoes, and treat bags are safe.
• Remind kids not to enter strangers' homes or cars.
• Be sure to inspect all treats before allowing kids to eat them.
• Candy that has been opened should be thrown away.
• Homemade treats or fruit should be inspected closely.
Remember, drivers have a hard time seeing people, especially at dusk. Never cross the street from between parked cars. Watch for open flames from jack-o-lanterns as they can catch costumes and long wigs on fire. Make sure that fake knives, swords, and guns are made from cardboard or flexible materials to avoid accidental injury or worse, have them mistaken for the real thing!
It is also important to ensure that your home is safe and accessible to trick-or-treaters. As adults there are some very simple things we can do to make the evening safe for everyone.
• Turn on your porch light.
• Move lit jack-o-lanterns off the porch where kids get bunched up.
• Remove objects from your yard that might present a hazard.
• Drive slowly all evening.
• Report any suspicious or criminal activity to the police.
"Halloween is traditionally a time for children to have fun, but most often it is the children who can be injured by situations that are avoidable," “Be sure your child's costume does not obstruct their vision and is not so cumbersome that they can trip over it,” says Chief Mark A. Weeks.
In the excitement of the night, kids often dart across streets. Falls and pedestrian accidents are statistically two of the ways most children are injured on Halloween. Be sure that, as a parent, you accompany your children for their safety and your peace of mind.
BY:
Lieutenant Tilman Mears
Criminal Investigations Division Commander
mearstf@defuniakspringspolice.net