Halloween guidelines for tonight

All County municipalities have designated today, Tuesday, Oct. 31, for trick-or-treating activities.

Madison

The Madison Police Department will have extra resources in place Tuesday, October 31, for Halloween Night to make sure all trick-or-treaters have a safe and fun night in the city, Madison Police Lt. Micah Taylor said. He offered a few tips we offer that are from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Safety tips for drivers:

•Be alert for trick-or-treaters on Halloween. Slow down and continue to scan the road in areas where they are likely to be or where sight distances are limited.

•On Halloween there will likely be more pedestrians on the roads and in places where they are not expected. Slower speeds save lives.

•Stay alert for pedestrians who may come out from between parked cars or behind shrubbery. Stop, wait for them to pass.

•Don’t look at your phone when you’re driving. Your attention needs to always be on the road.

•If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact law enforcement.

And safety tips for pedestrians:

•Walk on a sidewalk if one is available and use crosswalks. 

•Before the Halloween festivities begin, create a “buddy system” to get each other home safely and prevent walking alone.

Gluckstadt

Police Chief Barry Hale confirmed that the city will celebrate Halloween on Oct. 31. 
“The Gluckstadt Police Department wants everyone who chooses to celebrate Halloween trick or treating in our community to have a fun and safe outing,” Hale said. “The police department will have officers with blue lights on patrolling the neighborhoods in our community.”

Hale gave a number of safety recommendations. He said to have kids carry glow sticks or flashlights to help them be seen or help them see and to watch for cars that are moving, turning, or backing up.

“Teach children to never dart out into the street or cross between parked cars,” Hale said. “Join kids under age 12 for trick-or-treating.”

The department also recommends people wear bright colors or have some type of reflective tape on the costume.

“Stay in areas you are familiar with and have good lighting,” Hale said.

Ridgeland

RPD issued a number of safety tips for Oct 31, which include:

•Make sure kids are carrying lights or wearing clothing that can be seen. Many costumes are dark and will be hard for drivers to see at night. You can buy glow bracelets/necklaces or inexpensive items such as that to put on them.

•Encourage kids to walk in the yards and not in the street. If homeowners are passing out candy to children, they probably won’t mind if they walk in the grass, next to the street, when going from house to house.

•Many neighborhoods have people that drive to them, park on the road and trick-or-treat, then go back home. If this is the case in your neighborhood, please drive slow because children will run out between cars, not paying attention, and if you are speeding an accident is likely.

•If you are not sure if the candy is safe, don’t eat it. Candy that is not wrapped, or the wrapper is torn, needs to be thrown away.

The above tips were issued by Lt. Eddie Addison, Patrol Division Commander at RPD.

Canton

Canton Parks and Recreation will be holding a “Trunk or Treat” event at the Canton Community center for children 12 years old today starting at 6 p.m. The event will feature candy and decorated cars.

Flora

An announcement from Flora City officials said trick or Treating is slated for tonight among other guidelines. Officials said Flora police will be placing barricades throughout Flora from the hours of 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.

“These street closures are to limit the amount of foot traffic coming through the residential streets, and to keep families and visitors of the Town of FLora safe while trick or treating,” A statement from the city reads.

Barricades will be placed along Cox Ferry Road at Second, Third and Fourth Streets, as well as Center Street at Second and Third Streets. The Flora Police Department will only allow residents of Flora trying to get to their homes to pass through these barricades.

Visitors who will be trick or treating are asked to park at 400 Cox Ferry Road at Tri-County Academy.