With Halloween coming Thursday, many kids will be walking door-to-door for trick-or-treating. Before kids leave the house, Gainesville Police have some safety tips to offer both parents and children.
Corporal Jessica Van says one of the biggest dangers to trick-or-treaters is cars.
"We have some statistics with Safe Kids Worldwide and on average, children are more than twice as likely to be hit and killed by a car than any other day of the year," Van said. "It's important that children do use crosswalks or stay with adults. Bright colors if possible and also, in general, visibility."
While children need to use safe pedestrian practices, Gainesville Police Sergeant Kevin Holbrook said drivers need to be cautious as well. He said many children may be hard to spot and may not always be focused on the roads.
"Those young ones that are out and about are going to be wearing costumes, they're going to be wearing masks, so their vision may be obscured, so keep a lookout for them," Holbrook said. "Leave a little extra time. Many times when people are going to be out, they're going to be in the hustle and bustle of the Halloween holiday, so take some extra time."
With many trick-or-treaters being in subdivisions, roads are not the only places that children can have dangerous encounters with cars. Holbrook said driveways can be just as dangerous.
"One of the sad reminders that we do see typically on Halloween are children being backed over," Holbrook said. "Many times, the drivers are in that hustle and bustle and children are looking for that candy and people aren't necessarily paying attention."
While cars are the primary safety concern, Holbrook said there are other dangers to be aware of, including potential encounters with child predators. Both Van and Holbrook said police recommend that parents or guardians travel with any kids age 12 or younger, but for those children or young teenagers who are traveling alone, Holbrook said there are some basic safety rules to follow.
"It's the same thing they should adhere to each and every day, not just necessarily Halloween. Never, ever go into someone's home. Always travel in groups, ensure you're with people you know, if you feel there's a situation where something might be wrong, or you don't have a good feeling about it, always go with that gut feeling," Holbrook said.
Occasionally, there are certain costumes or online trends that Holbrook says police try to keep tabs on heading into Halloween. In 2016, reported sightings of people in clown costumes around the country in the Summer led to some concern over possible criminal activity by those wearing the costumes on Halloween.
This year, Holbrook said there are no credible threats that police are tracking.
"The one thing we've had this year was some information nationally with the 'Joker' movie," Holbrook said. "Fortunately, we've not had any issues locally. I don't believe we've had any even across the state, but of course it's important to be mindful of your surroundings."
Both Van and Holbrook recommended that people with safety concerns allow their children to trick-or-treat in public events that have designated police presence. Holbrook said that there will be increased police patrols in areas that are known to have a lot of trick-or-treaters walking the roads and sidewalks.
