Nature of Incident: Halloween Safety
Location: Citywide
Date & Time: October 31, 2015 / 5:00 PM
Unit Responsible: Thousand Oaks Police Department
Narrative:
This Saturday, October 31, 2015, is Halloween. Most children will be out wearing their favorite costume and visiting homes in your neighborhood. We need to remind ourselves there are issues when you mix the darkness with children, costumes and vehicles.
The Thousand Oaks Police Department would like to offer the following safety tips to keep your children safe:
For Parents and Children:
• Children under 12 should trick-or-treat and cross streets with an adult.
• Children should never enter homes to get candy or go near a vehicle offering candy.
• Stay in a well-lit and well populated area.
• Set a time for your children to be home and have them check in frequently.
• Always walk on sidewalks or paths. If there are no sidewalks, walk facing traffic as far to the left as possible.
• Cross the street at corners, using traffic signals and crosswalks. Parents should remind children to watch for cars that are turning or backing up.
• Look left, right and left again when crossing and keep looking as you cross. Walk; don't run, across the street.
For Drivers:
• Slow down and be especially alert in residential neighborhoods. Children are excited on Halloween and may move in unpredictable ways.
• Anticipate heavy pedestrian traffic and turn your headlights on earlier in the day so you can spot children from greater distances.
• Remember that costumes can limit children's visibility and they may not be able to see your vehicle.
• Reduce any distractions inside your car so you can concentrate on the road and your surroundings.
Costumes and Treats
• Decorate costumes and bags with reflective tape or stickers and choose light colored costumes to improve visibility.
• Choose face paint and make-up instead of masks, which can obstruct a child's vision. Look for non-toxic designations when choosing Halloween makeup.
• Avoid carrying sticks, swords, or other sharp objects.
• Have kids carry glow sticks or flashlights in order to see better, as well as to be seen by drivers.
• Check treats for signs of tampering before children are allowed to eat them. Candy should be thrown away if the wrapper is faded or torn, or if the candy is unwrapped.
On average, twice as many kids are killed or injured while walking on Halloween as compared to any other day of the year. This year let’s not make your child one of them.
Prepared by: Senior Deputy Timothy Lohman
Media Release Date: October 28, 2015
Media Follow-Up Contact: Senior Deputy Timothy Lohman
(805) 947-8255 – [email protected]
Approved by: Captain James Fryhoff
