Halloween Safety

With the upcoming Halloween holiday, the Winston-Salem Police Department would like to remind you of a few safety tips to make your Halloween a safe and fun-filled event.

• Never enter a stranger’s home or ring the door bell unless your parents are with you.
• Stay where your parents can see you at all times
• Use caution when crossing the street and hold your little brothers or sisters hand.
• Check the NC Sex Offenders Registry before you begin trick or treating.
• Know the route that your children are taking and make sure that an adult is with them.
• If you allow your child to go trick or treating without you, plan a route with them and set a time for them to return home. Also, send them out with a charged mobile phone.
• Be sure that your child’s costume is fire resistant and if wearing a mask, make sure that the eye openings are large enough to allow for peripheral vision.
• Set a time for your children to return home.
• Explain to your children the difference between playing a trick and vandalism.
• Provide a filling meal to your children before they go out trick or treating. This will reduce the temptation to eat the treats before you have a chance to check them.
• Ensure that props such as swords and knives are smooth on the edges and flexible not to cause injuries.
• Remind children not to talk to strangers or enter into a stranger’s vehicle.
• Incorporate reflective strips on costumes and always carry a flashlight or a glow stick.
• Children should be accompanied by a responsible adult at all times while trick or treating.
• Remind you children to stay on known roadways and not to take shortcuts.
• Always stay in a group.
• Never allow a small child to carve a pumpkin. Instead, allow them to draw or paint a face.
• Remember to keep your home safe for visiting trick or treaters. Pick up anything that could cause someone to trip and fall such as toys, bikes, and garden hoses.
• Remind children to not accept or consume anything that it not commercially wrapped.
• If hosting a Halloween party and serving juice or ciders, be sure to serve one that it pasteurized or otherwise treated to destroy harmful bacteria.
• Wash fruits and vegetables before consuming to remove any bacteria and keep perishable foods chilled until ready to serve them. Do not leave food at room temperature for more than two hours.