Police dept. offers tips on Halloween safety
LOMBARD, Illinois— Official trick-or-treating hours in the Village of Lombard for this Halloween will be held on October 31 from 3-7 p.m., as recommended by the Lombard Police Department.
Halloween with all the costumes, parties, and excitement has a very serious side to it – child safety. In recent year, Halloween has attracted the attention of police departments because harmless fun can sometimes become dangerous. The Lombard Police Department would like to offer the following safety tips to help make Halloween a fun and safe experience for parents and children together.
Halloween Safety Tips
• Families should plan ahead for a safe Halloween.
• Parents should ensure that costumes are fireproof.
• If face masks are used, be sure children can see well enough through them. Consider using makeup instead.
• Costumes should be made of white or very light colored materials. Costume and trick or treat bags may be decorated with reflective tape or patches to make them highly visible to motorists.
• Toy weapons and other props, i.e., swords, broomsticks, hatchets, wands, should be made of cardboard or Styrofoam as sharp instruments can be dangerous.
• Children should wear their regular shoes instead of fancy costume shoes for safety.
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• Trick or treating should be done during daylight hours. If out after dark, each trick-or-treater should have a flashlight to prevent falls on porch steps and on sidewalks. Jack o lanterns or candles should not be used.
• A responsible adult or teenager should accompany each group of children. Never let children travel down a street by themselves. Parents or guardians should walk with children to each house and wait in the driveway and/or by the door until the children return.
• Instruct children that they should never enter the home of a stranger or accept rides.
• Watch for traffic.
• Always walk while trick or treating; never run.
• Try, if possible, to limit the size of each group of children to four or five.
• Residents can help keep Halloween safe by keeping their front yards well lit.
• Parents should check all "treats" before allowing children to eat them. Only give or accept wrapped or packaged candy.
• Stay in your own neighborhood and only go to houses that have porch lights turned on.
• Parents should know exactly the route their children are taking and should set a time limit for trick or treating.
• To help trick or treaters who come to your house, remove all obstacles from the steps, porch, sidewalk and lawns.
• Trick or treating should be for young children only. Parties are a good alternative for older children.
Lombard Police Chief Raymond Byrne encourages parents to sponsor and supervise Halloween parties in place of trick or treating.
"If anything unusual occurs or you suspect candy tampering, the Lombard Police, 9 1 1, should be called immediately," advises Byrne. “The Police Department has access to a national hotline for information on candy tampering. The important point is to make it a safe and fun Halloween for our children,” he added.