We here at the Boca Raton Police Foundation want to make sure you and your family enjoy this fun holiday as safely as possible, which is why we offer you a list of trick-or-treating tips to make trick-or-treating trouble free.
Make sure your kids dress up safely:
- Keep costumes short to prevent trips, falls, and other bumps in the night.
- Try make-up instead of a mask. Masks can be hot and uncomfortable, and they can obstruct a child’s vision, a dangerous thing when kids are crossing streets and going up and down steps.
- All costumes should be made of light-colored, fireproof material.
- Never let your kids go out with realistic replicas of firearms.
Make trick-or-treating trouble free:
- Create a map of a safe trick-or treating route and set a time limit for your children to “trick-or-treat”.
- Trick-or-treaters should always be in groups so they aren’t a tempting target for real-life goblins. Parents should accompany young children.
- Make sure older kids trick-or-treat with friends. Together, map out a safe route so you will know where they are going. Tell them to stop only at familiar homes where the outside lights are on.
- Try to get your kids to trick-or-treat while it’s still light out. If it’s dark, make sure someone has a flashlight, add reflective tape to costumes and bags, and pick well-lighted streets.
- Do not go inside anyone’s home. Remain on the porch at all times.
- Do not accept rides from strangers and be sure children do not approach any vehicle, occupied or not.
- Closely inspect any treats before anyone eats them.
- Discard any homemade or unwrapped treats.
Take extra care on Halloween night:
- Make sure the path to your door is clear, welcome trick-or-treaters with your porch lights and turn on any exterior lights.
- Keep pets inside your home or another safe place.
- Motorists should drive slowly, yield to young pedestrians and watch out for trick-or-treaters darting into the street.