Community Update
by George Crum, Chief of Police

Cathedral City Police Department Tips for a Safe Halloween

• Make sure the path to your door is clear, welcome trick-or-treaters with your porch lights, and turn on any exterior lights.
• Patrol your street occasionally to discourage speeding motorists, acts of malicious mischief, and crimes against children.
• Report any suspicious or criminal activity to your police department immediately.
  In Cathedral City call 9-1-1.
• Do not give homemade or unwrapped treats to children.

• Make sure costumes are flame retardant so children aren't in danger near burning jack-o-lanterns.
• Keep costumes short to prevent trips, falls, and other bumps in the night.
• Try make-up instead of a mask. Masks can be hot and uncomfortable, and they can obstruct a child's vision, a dangerous thing when kids are crossing streets and going up and down steps.
• Make sure kids wear light colors or put reflective tape on their costumes.

• Create a map of a safe trick-or-treating route and set a time limit for your children to “trick-or-treat”.
• Trick-or-treaters should always be in groups so they aren't a tempting target for real-life goblins. Parents should accompany young children.
• Make sure older children trick-or-treat with friends. Together, map out a safe route so you will know where they are going. Tell them to stop only at familiar homes where the outside lights are on.
• Try to get your children to trick-or-treat while it's still light out. If it's dark, make sure someone has a flashlight, add reflective tape to costumes and bags, and pick well-lighted streets.
• Do not go inside anyone’s home. Remain on the porch at all times.
• Do not accept rides from strangers and be sure children do not approach any vehicle, occupied or not.
• Remind children to keep a safe distance from moving cars.
• Cross only at street corners, never between parked cars, and never diagonally across an intersection.
• Look in all directions before crossing the street, and obey all traffic signals. Walk; never run, across the street, and use sidewalks, not the street, for walking.
• Do not take shortcuts through backyards, alleys, or parks.
• Do not let your children eat any treats until an adult has inspected them.
• Discard any homemade or unwrapped treats.
• Teach children how to call 9-1-1 in an emergency.

• It's hard for children to hold back from eating their treats until they get home. One way to keep trick-or-treaters from digging in while they're still out is to feed them a meal or a snack beforehand.
• Check out all candy in a well-lit place when your trick-or-treater gets home.
• Only eat unopened candies and other treats that are in their original wrappers. Don't forget to inspect fruit and homemade goodies for anything suspicious.
• Halloween can be a lot of fun for parents and children alike--if everybody remembers the tricks and treats of playing it safe.

• Make sure your children’s costumes are not flammable.
• Do not permit your children to wear cumbersome, floor-length, or vision-impairing costumes.
• Reflectorized stripes make your costume more visible.
• In lieu of masks, we recommend face makeup.
• Wear comfortable, safe shoes.
• Call 9-1-1 if you suspect any tainted candy.

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