Full Notification

Safety Tips for Halloween from the Bordentown Township Police Department:

As Halloween quickly approaches, Chief Brian Pesce and the Bordentown Township Police Department want to remind families of several important safety tips as they prepare to take their children trick-or-treating this year.

“On behalf of the entire Bordentown Township Police Department, we want to make sure our residents have a safe and happy Halloween,” Chief Pesce states. “We ask that trick-or-treaters and their families follow these safety guidelines to ensure that everyone has an enjoyable night.”

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 your child’s arms, legs and treat bags
• Have children wear flashing reflector lights on belt loops or on bag handles, the blinking light provides great 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

Additionally, any suspicious person or vehicle should immediately be reported to the Bordentown Township Police Department by calling 609-298-4300 OR 9-1-1 in an emergency.