Halloween night is both a time for fun and a time for caution. With kids in costume trick-or-treating, and teens on the prowl for more devious fun, the streets of our city take on a unique atmosphere of revelry. To ensure that everyone navigates this landscape safely, Richmond Police Department Lieutenant Andre Hill offers some safety tips.

1. Tick-or-treaters: Stay visible.
When walking through the neighborhood, parents and kids should both carry flashlights or glow sticks with them. This help ensure that kids are visible to everyone, even if they are wearing dark costumes. To avoid this concern, we also suggest going to a Halloween party once it gets dark so that kids aren’t running around the streets when visibility is low.
 

2. Keep an eye on the roads
Kids, especially ones under 12 years-old, have a habit of getting a little too excited on Halloween. Sometimes if they see a friend across the street or a house that is giving out a lot of candy, they will just run into the street. While parents are walking with their kids, they should keep surveying the road around them to make sure that no one is coming. Before going out parents should sit down and talk with their kids about these rules to make sure they are also keeping an eye on the road. It’s about being mindful.
 

3. Teen and adults need to be careful, too
What we at the Richmond Police Department ask is that everyone respect Halloween for what it is. The day is meant for kids to dress up and have a little fun, and we all need to appreciate their time to have fun. Teens have a tendency to bogart trick-or-treating, or interrupt kids, and that can cause problems. We just ask that everyone be respectful.

Adult have their own set of concerns. We ask that they don’t over indulge in adult beverages. There are so many kids out on the street, and there is going to be a lot of traffic, too. It’s best to plan ahead for this by taking a cab or finding a designated driver for the night. Beyond that, the RPD will have many vehicles out on the road patrolling to make sure things are safe. In some parts of town there may be up to 4,000 kids out, and our main goal is protecting their safety.
 

4. Be careful, and be caring
The best precaution for the evening is just to be aware of your surroundings. This involves looking at what’s around you in terms of traffic, people, and hazards. Make sure you are being safe, and make sure everyone else around you is practicing similar tactics. If everyone is on the same page, being aware and being safe, that is how we can work together to be safe on Halloween.


Photo courtesy of Kentucky Foster Care