Mount Pleasant Police Department offers Halloween Safety Tips

It’s that time of year again, when trick-or-treaters are set to roam our streets. The Mount Pleasant Police Department would like to share some Halloween safety tips and reminders:

This year Halloween is on a Saturday so expect more children than normal out Trick or Treating, weather permitting. We ask parents to accompany the younger children and stop trick-or-treating by 8:00 PM. As a precaution, please stress to your children that if they find any unwrapped candy it should be thrown away and not eaten. We recommend children wear light colored clothing or reflective clothing after sunset. Take a flashlight or use a glow stick so motorist can see you. Parents have a cell phone with you in case of an emergency. Call 911 to report any unsafe behavior and we will send an officer to check on the situation.

Here are some safety tips to make Halloween safe and fun for our children:

Motorists:
• Slowdown in residential neighborhoods and obey all traffic laws
• Exercise extreme caution when driving a vehicle. Be on the alert for excited youngsters darting out in traffic whose vision may be obscured by masks
• Enter and exit driveways with caution
• If you are driving children around the neighborhood be sure to have children enter and exit the car on the curbside of the road
• Drivers should not wear a mask or a costume that makes it difficult to move your arms and legs while driving
• Designate a driver if you’re going to an "adult party"

Parents and Children:
• Report any suspicious or criminal activity to the Police Department immediately
• Use costumes with light or bright colored material and trim
• Make sure the costume does not interfere with walking
• Encourage children to use face paint or make-up rather than hoods, wigs or masks that can block vision
• Teach children not to cut across yards
• Do not accept rides from a stranger
• Check all treats before the children eat the candy. Discard any homemade or unwrapped treats
• Restrict Trick or Treat visits to homes with porch or outside lights that are on. Lights out means the homeowner is not participating
• Don’t go into homes
• Give children a flashlight or glow stick so they can see and be seen
• Children should Trick or Treat in groups or with an adult, NEVER alone
• Set a time limit for your children to Trick or Treat. We recommend stopping by 8 PM
• Cross roads only at a street corner and never between parked cars