Austin Police Offer Halloween Safety Tips For Children, Adults

AUSTIN, TX — The Austin Police Department on Friday issued a number of safety tips to ensure that children have a safe Halloween.

It is important for parents to follow a few safety precautions as children take to neighborhood streets for traditional trick-or-treating. To that end, APD offers the following safety guidelines for parents and guardians:

• Know your trick-or-treater's route.
• Take a flashlight.
• Be sure costumes, shoes, and treat bags are safe.
• Remind children not to enter a stranger's home or car.
• Set rules about not eating treats until your children are home. Inspect all treats before allowing kids to eat them.
• Candy that has been opened should be thrown away. Any homemade treats or fruit should be inspected closely.
• Remember drivers have a hard time seeing people, especially at dusk.
• Never cross the street from between parked cars.
• Watch open flames from jack-o-lanterns as they present a fire hazard for costumes and long wigs. Review the "stop, drop and roll" procedure in case your costume catches on fire.
• Only visit well-lit houses. Don't stop at dark houses.
• Don't enter any homes unless you know the people.
• Carry a spare Halloween bag -- in case it breaks or your original one is filled.
• Make sure fake knives, swords, and guns are made from cardboard or other flexible materials to avoid accidental injury or worse - having them mistaken for the real thing.
• Don't cut across yards. Use sidewalks and stay out of back yards.
• Follow traffic signals and do not jaywalk or cross at mid-block.
• Always watch for cars backing up or turning.
• Never accept rides from strangers.
• Respect other people and their property.
• Be polite and say "thank you."
• It is also important to ensure that your home is safe and accessible to trick-or-treaters. There are some very simple steps to make the evening safe for everyone.
• Turn on your porch light.
• Move lit jack-o-lanterns off the porch where kids get bunched up when trick-or-treating in groups.
• Remove objects from your yard that might present a hazard.
• Drive slowly all evening. You never know what little “creature” may suddenly cross your path.
• Report any suspicious or criminal activity to the police.

Police didn't limit their safety tips for just kids. For adults celebrating Halloween, there are some things to consider when wearing that "perfect" costume, police said:

• Make sure any accessories, such as fake guns, knives, and other potentially dangerous items are not mistaken for the real thing.
• Fire safety and visibility are important for adult costumes. Apply the same standards to adult costumes as you do to your children's.
• Remember adults that are dressed up can be scary to young children.

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