The Harrison Township Police Department would like to provide you with some Halloween safety guidelines for homeowners, parents and trick-or-treaters to make sure that Halloween 2024 is as safe and fun as possible this year.
Children should:
- Only approach well-lit houses and always travel in small groups.
- Wear clothing that is bright, reflective and flame-retardant.
- Use flashlights for guidance on sidewalks, walkways and when crossing the street.
- Make sure masks have eye-holes large enough to see any tripping hazards or oncoming traffic, and mouth openings large enough to breathe easily.
- Practice safe street-crossing by using crosswalks and walk signals.
- Wear sturdy shoes and temperature appropriate clothing under costumes.
Parents and guardians should:
- Supervise children under 12 years old.
- Establish a designated curfew for older children.
- Make sure children are wearing safe costumes that fit well and don’t drag on the ground.
- Apply reflective tape to children’s arms, legs and treat bags.
- Have children wear flashing reflector lights on belt loops or on bag handles, which provides an added safety feature for trick-or-treaters.
- Assure costume accessories such as swords and other pointed objects are made with soft and safe materials.
Homeowners should:
- Keep inside and outside lights on during trick-or-treat hours.
- Avoid placing lit candles and jack-o-lanterns on doorsteps and walkways where costumes could brush against them and cause burns or fire.
- Only hand out candy that is packaged and wrapped.
- Avoid handing out small toys that could cause choking or lead poisoning for small children.
HTPD encourages residents to report any suspicious person or vehicles to the Department by calling 856-589-0911 or by dialing 9-1-1 in case of an emergency.