HALLOWEEN: Police have advice for safe trick-or-treating

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October 29, 2008

By April Amadon<br><a href="mailto:amadona@gnnewspaper.com">E-mail April</a> The Lockport Union-Sun %26 Journal Wed Oct 29, 2008, 02:37 AM EDT

TRICK OR TREAT

Trick-or-Treating hours for area towns are as follows:

• CITY OF LOCKPORT: 4 to 7 p.m.

• TOWN OF LOCKPORT: 4 to 7 p.m.; 5 to 8 p.m. in the Woodlands

• NEWFANE: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

• TOWN OF SOMERSET: 5 to 7 p.m.

• VILLAGE OF BARKER: 5 to 7 p.m.

• VILLAGE OF MIDDLEPORT: 5 to 7 p.m.

• WILSON: 4 to 7 p.m.

No set hours for the towns of Cambria, Hartland, Pendleton or Royalton.

SAFETY TIPS

The American Red Cross recommends trick-or-treaters follow these rules for a safe Halloween:

• MAP IT OUT: Plan your route ahead of time to make sure you don’t get lost.

• LIGHT IT UP: Bring a flashlight, even though it may be light out when trick-or-treating starts.

• STAY OUTSIDE: Accept treats at the door, and don’t go inside strangers’ homes.

• USE FACE PAINT: Rather than wearing a mask that can restrict your vision, use face paint to enhance your costume.

• REFLECT: Make sure clothing is reflective and can be seen in the dark.

• WALK SAFELY: Use sidewalks and avoid walking in the street. Look both ways when crossing the street, and cross only at corners.

• FIRE SAFETY: Be aware of wigs, costumes and capes that are flammable. Avoid open flames.

• BE CHOOSY: Only visit homes where the porch light is turned on.

n AVOID ANIMALS: Be careful around strange animals, especially dogs.

n SAFE TREATS: Have a grown-up inspect your candy, removing choking hazards or open packages.

This Friday night, the streets will be filled with ghosts and goblins, young and old.

Amidst all the fun and games, local law enforcement will be out and about, hoping to ensure everyone celebrates safely.

The bustle of Halloween every year provides the Niagara County Sheriff’s Department with its second-highest call volume night of the year, second only to the Fourth of July, Sheriff’s Capt. Steven Preisch said.

In most communities, official trick-or-treating hours are over by 7 p.m., but for some neighborhoods, the celebrations may continue even later.

If someone sees vandalism in action, they should call and report it, but the large call volume might mean deputies may not respond right away.

“Halloween happens once a year, so it’s a low frequency (event), but there’s a lot of things going on,” Preisch said. ” “People need to be realistic, that we do need to prioritize calls, but we do try to be proactive.”

Parental supervision

Preisch said parents should keep a close eye on their kids while trick-or-treating.

“Children, they get excited,” Preisch said. “They almost get tunnel vision ... they’re running to the next house, not paying attention to their surroundings.”

The AAA recommends planning your trick-or-treating route in advance, bringing a flashlight and selecting costumes that are highly visible. Costumes should also fit well, so they don’t drag on the ground and cause a hazard.

“It's really a lot of common sense, but sometimes we need to be reminded of this stuff,” Preisch said. “Sometimes you just take things for granted.”

Lockport resident Dawn Keough said either she or her husband always go trick-or-treating with their kids, including son Erik Keough, 12.

“They don’t go by themselves,” Dawn said. “They usually don’t wear any masks.”

Once trick-or-treating is over, parents should check their kids’ candy before it’s eaten.

“If they feel it’s tampered with, they need to call the local law enforcement department to make them aware of it,” Preisch said.

Safe neighborhoods

Preisch said it’s always a good idea to stick close to home, on familiar streets, preferably with sidewalks and streetlights.

Parents may also want to log on to the Internet before heading out with their trick-or-treaters, to make sure they don’t visit the homes of any registered sex offenders.

Preisch said the department will team up with probation officers to “keep an eye” on area sex offenders.

“It’s one of those precautionary things,” he said. “Obviously, prevention is our ultimate goal.”

To find out if there are any sex offenders in your neighborhood, visit the Niagara County Sheriff’s Department’s sex offender registry at www.ncsd.com.

Drivers

The AAA reports an expected rise in the number of party-goers and trick-or-treaters on the streets this year, because Halloween falls on a Friday.

Typically, the number of motor vehicle fatalities on Halloween rises about 30 percent when the holiday is on a weekend, according to the AAA.

“When Halloween falls during the middle of the work week, parties and events are spread out over several days,” said Terri Rae Anthony, safety adviser for AAA East Central. “With Halloween on a Friday this year, most festivities are expected to take place that evening, putting a large number of adult party-goers on the road the same night as trick-or-treaters.”

As a result, parents and law enforcement officials should be extra aware of the possibility of reckless and drunken drivers on the roads.

The National Retail Federation estimates two out of three adults ages 18 to 24 plan on attending a Halloween party this year.

“It’s critical for both motorists and pedestrians to take extra caution and make sure this is a safe and happy Halloween for everyone,” Anthony said.

Contact reporter April Amadon at 439-9222, ext. 6251.

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