Halloween Safety Tips from Local Police

Tuesday, 31 October 2023 at 06:16

It's Halloween so police have some tips for trick-or-treaters planning to hit the streets tonight.

OXFORD COUNTY - It's a bird, it's a plane... nope, it's kids out for the annual Halloween candy haul.

Trick-or-treating is taking place tonight, and there will be more foot traffic on the streets. Oxford OPP Community Safety/Media Relations Officer, Patti Cote says parents have a big responsibility.

"We want to encourage you to make sure you dress your trick-or-treaters in bright colours. That way they are more visible to any motorists."

Speaking of motorists, Cote adds they play a big part in ensuring safety is the number one priority.

"Drivers should expect to see more pedestrians on the roads on Halloween night. So, we want motorists to be alert and slow down for any trick-or-treaters they might happen upon."

She says a big thing to keep an eye on would be watching for children who could be coming out from behind parked cars into the street. Cole adds when going from house to house, use a sidewalk if available, and use crosswalks.

Special Constable Shaylyn Jackson with the Woodstock Police Service also stopped by the Heart FM studio this morning to share some Halloween safety tips. She says the kids should be wearing something reflective so they are easier to see once the sun goes down.

"If you stop in at the Woodstock Police Station we have these reflective slap bracelets and they are super handy for trick-or-treating especially. We like to give them out to kids all of the time for safety reasons but they are amazing for Halloween. They just slap right on their wrists and they're reflective so if they're wearing a dark coloured costume at least drivers will be able to see them."

Homeowners should also make sure they don't have any tripping hazards, so the kids don't trip on their way to the front door.

Jackson adds a parent or guardian should always look over the candy before the kids dive into their treat bags.

"Unfortunately there have been cases in the past where candy has been tampered with. So we strongly encourage parents to look over the candy to make sure nothing has been tampered with and everything is sealed properly. Then the kids can have at her!"

There will be an increased police presense tonight to make sure everyone has a safe and fun time.

#Halloween2023 is here! Here's Halloween Safety Tip #1 to help you get ready for the spooktacular fun ahead. Make sure your little ones are safe tonight. Use makeup instead of masks, as masks can reduce your ability to see obstacles, vehicles and other people. ^dr pic.twitter.com/Ybx1AVqNCa
— OPP West Region (@OPP_WR) October 31, 2023