Halloween Safety Tips

Thursday, 20 October 2016 10:39

Woodstock Police will have a strong presence on Halloween night and you can trick or treat without having to worry about clowns.

WOODSTOCK - Woodstock Police are asking everyone to stay safe this Halloween.

For trick or treaters it is important to wear a visible costume and make sure you dress for the weather. Constable Nikki VanLeeuwen wants to let the public know they will have a strong police presence on Halloween night and to not worry about clowns.

"Woodstock Police just want people to feel safe and know that we will have lot's of officers out ensuring the community is safe and Woodstock is a very safe place to live. This clown phenomenon is just that a phenomenon, we haven't had issues of violence or anything related to people dressing up in any kind of costume and we anticipate Halloween and the days leading up to Halloween are going to be safe for the community."

She notes this may not be the best year to dress up as a clown.

"I would suggest under the circumstances that people do avoid dressing as clowns this year, I mean people do have a heightened stress level because of what's been happening and unfortunately we have had some people who think it is funning to dress up as a clown and scare people in Ontario. We did have one incident in our own community and I suggest people use common sense and maybe avoid that costume this year."

Other tips include:

Ensure your children are dressed appropriately:

- Ensure that accessories such as wings and capes are not around flames.
- Choose bright costumes that can clearly be seen by motorists. Add reflective tape.
- Use make up instead of masks – masks that do not fit properly can interfere with
children’s visibility.
- Avoid costumes that are too big to avoid unnecessary falls.
- Dress for the weather.
- Avoid danger when decorating
- Avoid fire hazards and [prevent injuries
- Let children draw on pumpkins and parents carve them.

Keep your children safe by teaching them to stay visible and to be aware of their surroundings:

- Parents go trick or treating with your children.
- Give each child a flashlight.
- Tell your children to only go to houses that are well lit.
- Make sure children never go inside homes or cars.
- Teach your children to be careful crossing the street.

Be cautious with candy:

- Always examine the treats that are brought home before your children indulge.
- Tell your children not to eat treats until you have looked them over.
- Be careful when giving children any treats that could be potential choking hazards.