Full Notification

The Town of Hope Mills will be observing Halloween Trick or Treat on Monday, October 31, from 6 to 8:00p.m. The Town of Hope Mills will also host a Halloween &#39;Trunk or Treat&#39; at the Hope Mills Recreation Center Complex so please visit us there and enjoy Halloween in a safe, family-friendly environment.&nbsp;<br />
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The Hope Mills Police Department wants all of our citizens and visitors to enjoy this event safely. Therefore, we feel it is important to remind you of some common Halloween safety tips.&nbsp;<br />
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1. Never, ever go into a strangers house or even ring their door for treats unless your parents are with you and say that it&#39;s okay.&nbsp;<br />
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2. Be careful when you cross a street. Make sure to look in both directions and make sure that there are no cars coming.&nbsp;<br />
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3. Instruct your children not to eat any treats until they bring them home to be examined by you. This way you can check for any problem candy. If you find candy that you believe may have been tampered contact the Police.&nbsp;<br />
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4. Again, Instruct your child to never go into the home of a stranger or get into their car. Explain why this is not a god idea and what to do if someone approaches them and tries to talk to them. This cannot be stressed enough!&nbsp;<br />
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5. Everybody loves dark scary costumes for Halloween Trick or Treating. However, Make sure your child carries a flashlight, glow stick or has reflective tape on their costume to make them more visible to cars. If you are using your vehicle to transport your children from house to house, please leave only your parking lights on when parked. Your headlights blind oncoming traffic and other vehicles will not be able to see children in front of, or behind your vehicle.&nbsp;<br />
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6. While we&#39;re talking about costumes, it&#39;s important that they be made from flame retardant materials, and eye holes in masks are big enough to allow a safe amount of peripheral vision. Make sure their costumes or shoes don&#39;t have any material or strings that could cause them to trip and fall down. Attach something to their costume that is unique and will help you identify them in a large crowd of children.&nbsp;<br />
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7. Be mindful of vehicles traveling on the roadway as you visit from house to house. Don&#39;t allow your children to dash from house to house or run across the street.&nbsp;<br />
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8. If your children are old enough to Trick or Treat alone, remind them to stay on the main streets and not to cut through yards, schools, or fields during their travels. They should also be given a route to follow that they should not stray from.&nbsp;<br />
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9. If you observe any individuals committing vandalism, or any other type of crime call 911 immediately. Do not attempt to stop the activity or intervene. Rather, try to get as good a description as possible, and their direction of travel if they leave the area before Officers arrive.&nbsp;<br />
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10. For those of us handing out the treats, keep the porch, and the front interior of your house well lit. The universal signal for those of us not wanting to participate in Halloween is to turn the porch light off. Most folks will respect this signal.