Safety tips offered for trick-or-treaters

The Las Cruces police and fire departments remind parents, and trick-or-treaters of all ages, to take the necessary steps to make this Halloween a safe holiday for everyone involved.

Possibly the most important safety precaution – especially for parents of young children – is to make sure their trick-or-treaters are adequately chaperoned by a parent or responsible adult.

Those who invite trick-or-treaters onto their property should ensure that sidewalks and walkways are adequately lighted and safe for their costumed guests.

Halloween safety tips include:

• Go trick’-or-treating with your child and, if possible, in a group.
• Make sure that costumes are visible to motorists and homeowners.
• Use a flashlight while trick’-or-treating after dark and consider incorporating a glow stick into your child’s costume.
• Assure that costumes fit appropriately and do not interfere with walking or vision.
• Keep costumes and decorations away from open flames such as candles in jack-o’-lanterns.
• Consider using flameless, battery-operated candles or glow sticks in jack-o’-lanterns.
• Trick-or-treaters should keep to sidewalks and proper walkways.
• Cross streets only in designated crosswalks and only after checking for traffic.
• Parents and caretakers should keep close watch of their children at all times.
• Properly contain pets, especially large dogs. They may not bite but could easily scare or knock down a small child.
• Motorists should be on the lookout for an increase in pedestrian traffic, especially small children, in residential neighborhoods.
• Thoroughly inspect all candy and moderate the amount your child may consume. If a candy is unwrapped or not properly sealed, do not consume it.
• Call police immediately to report inappropriate behavior, suspicious activity or potentially dangerous situations.

Revelers also should be conscious to the fact that not all homeowners celebrate Halloween, or enjoy ghosts and goblins knocking on their doors. The basic rules of thumb are to refrain from trick’-or-treating at homes with no Halloween displays or without adequate lighting, and keep your activities limited to respectable hours.