Frederick County Sheriff’s Office Urges Children, Their Parents, Motorists To Be Safe This Halloween

Large numbers of kids are expected to be out trick or treating.Photo courtesy of Frederick County Sheriff’s OfficeFrederick, Md (KM) Trick or treating is always a fun time for children during Halloween as they dress up in ghoulish costumes and try to scare up some candy. But it’s important to be safe. The Frederick County Sheriff’s Office  says children should wear costumes that are loose so warm clothing can be worn underneath. Also, the costumes should be made of light colored material or have retro-reflective strips so that motorists can see them. Instead of masks, the Sheriff’s Office advises makeup be  put on children’s faces so they can see.Children should  remember to be aware of traffic in their neighborhoods. “They can walk instead of run from house to house. We want them to use established crosswalks. We want them to look left, right. left before crossing streets,” says Spokesman Todd Wivell  with the Sheriff’s Office.He also says parents should accompany their children as they go out trick or treating. “They can carry a flashlight so they can see a little bit better. We know it’s Halloween and kids want to be scary and spooky, but we also want them to be safe. So it would help if their parents were to wear some reflective vest or some kind of reflective clothing so they can be seen as well,:” Wivell says.Children are also advised to trick or treat in their own neighborhoods. . “We want them  to never, ever go into a stranger’s house. And we always recommend they go to a well-lit house or apartment,” says Wivell.There are also expected to be motorists out on the roads that evening. It could be persons coming home from work, or heading out to a Halloween party. Wivell says drivers need to be on the alert, especially traveling through residential neighborhoods. “These kids will dart out between cars. They will dart out between houses. They’ll come out from streets that you would never even think about a kid running out from. And so we really want you to be careful and put the phone down and pay attention to everything going on around you,” he says.The Sheriff’s Office also recommends children and accompanying adults travel in a group, and everyone meet in a specific area when the trick or treating is finished. Another suggestion is placing a slip of paper inside a child’s costume with the kid’s name, address and phone number in case that child is separated from the group.When the kids bring home their goodies, the Sheriff’s Office urges parents to inspect all treats and throw out any that looks suspicious.By Kevin McManus